Hold Me Forever
by GhostMajor
Summary: Sequel to Hold Me Now: Twenty years have passed since tragedy struck the Bennett family, leaving Jack feeling more alone than ever. But a new Spirit has appeared in Burgess, with striking similarities to the one that was lost. Could the Man in the Moon really have turned Jamie Bennett into a Spirit? And what does Pitch want with him?
1. Chapter 1

_Please read our other story, Hold Me Now before reading this. Otherwise, it won't make much sense._

* * *

Chapter One

The Man in the Moon, MiM for short, watched from his place on the moon as the young Bennett boy selflessly sacrificed himself to try to save the rest of the people in the cafe from the boy with the gun. The little round man was pleased with Jamie, and wanted to do something for him and for Jack, the Winter Spirit he wished he'd been able to help more.

With a smile, and the snap of his fingers, MiM resurrects Jamie Bennett in the image of nature. When the boy rises from his new resting place in the woods, not far from Jack Frost's cabin, he alters the boy's appearance. He no longer appears as a normal human - Jamie now has a pair of brown wolf ears and a tail, plus sharper teeth and clawed hands and feet.

"You are Jamie," MiM tells the confused and frightened boy. "And you are the Beast Spirit."

As a last gift, MiM makes sure to leave a bow and quiver of arrows where the boy will find them.

* * *

Jamie runs through the snow covered woods on all fours, expertly dodging trees and other obstacles in his path. It's been at least twenty years since he's been back to the place of his birth. At least, he thinks it was a birth; he's not really sure. Of anything for that matter. All he knows is that his name is Jamie, and he's in charge of taking care of the animals.

He's broken out of his trance-like run as his claws slip out from under him, and he realizes too late that he's run right out onto a frozen pond. Only Jamie's quick reflexes keep him upright. Standing up once more, he can't shake the feeling that something is oddly familiar about the place.

After a minute he, quite literally, shakes it off as something to contemplate later and takes off again towards the sounds of children laughing and playing in the nearby town.

Jack swoops around town on the cold winter wind, doing acrobatic stunts as he dodges the snowballs thrown at him by the children of the town. Over the years, more and more children had begun to believe in him, to the point that nearly every child in the little town of Burgess now believes in him.

Over the course of time, the children had begun to realize there was no beating the Winter Spirit, and had made it a game to see who could hit Jack with a snowball. Jack truly enjoys his time spent with the children, but his heart still aches for his first believer, his best friend, his brother.

He still continues on as the Guardian of Fun, but his smile has lost it's mischievous spark.

Jamie runs down the coated streets, not worrying about being hit by one of those strange metal things the cats and birds liked to call "cars". He passes right through them whenever he comes in contact with them.

Skidding to a stop, he stands at the edge of a large square of land with a statue in the middle. His tail wags furiously and his ears perk up in excitement as he watches the small people run around, throwing packed balls of snow at an older looking boy flying overhead.

When Jack goes to dodge one of the snowballs, he sees movement out of the corner of his eye. When he turns to get a better look, he gets the shock of his life. And a snowball to the side of his face.

With a laugh, he tells the kids he'll play with them more later before trying to approach the strange half-human creature. He's half boy, half wolf, and completely new to Jack.

"Hey there," Jack calls out softly, holding his hand out to the boy.

With a start, Jamie takes a nervous step backwards. His ears are flattened to his skull and a low growl rumbles in his throat as he asks hesitantly, "W-Who are you? How can you see me?"

Jack's a bit taken aback by the boy's question and growling, but gives him a reassuring smile.

"My name is Jack Frost. Are you a new spirit?" Jack asks, crouching down to let the boy come to him. As he looks at the boy, he can't help but think he looks very familiar.

"Jack Frost?" Jamie repeats, cocking his head to the side curiously. "I've heard about you. You make it snow and play all the time." His tail wags at the thought of being able to play with the hyperactive kids running around in the distance. At Jack's second question, he adds, "I dunno if I'm new; can't remember".

"That's me." Jack smiles, pride evident in his voice. "You can't remember? Have you met the Guardians yet?" Jack sits in the snow in front of the boy, his long legs crossed.

Following Jack's lead, Jamie sits down as well, legs crossed and hands resting on the ground in front of him as he leans forward. His tail thumps quietly in the snow behind him.

"I've seen them," he answers, sounding much younger than his appearance implies. "I like watching them."

"They're great," Jack laughs. "Would you like to meet them?"

"Yeah!" Jamie answers, his tail picking up its pace in his excitement.

Sophie's walking home from work, past the town square, when she spots her second favorite Guardian, Jack Frost. It's not unusual for her to see Jack out playing with the children during the middle of Winter, but it is unusual to see him sitting there in the snow by himself. It looks like he's talking to someone, but she can't see anyone around the Winter Spirit.

"Jack! What's up?" Sophie waves to her old friend. "Are you talking to someone?"

Jack greets the woman with a smile. "There's a new Spirit. Or at least I think he's new. I've never seen anyone quite like him - he's got ears and a tail like a dog."

Upon seeing the woman, Jamie gets to his feet, surprised slightly to see he's a whole head taller than her. Head turned to the side, he scrunches his face up as he tries to work something out within his mind.

"I know you, from...from somewhere..."

"Sophie, this is, erm..." Jack hesitates when he realizes he doesn't know the wolf-boy's name. "I'm sorry, what's your name?" Jack flushes a bit in embarrassment as he looks at the boy.

"Jamie," he answers, not looking away from his inspection of the woman in front of him. "Just Jamie."

Jack stares at the boy, surprised. It had been so long since he'd heard of anyone with that name. It still affects him deeply whenever he hears it.

"I used to have a friend named Jamie," Jack says softly, his voice barely audible as he watches the boy.

Jamie's ears twitch in Jack's direction, his heightened senses picking up his near whisper. "Used to?"

"He, um... He was..." Jack hesitates to say the word. Despite twenty years having passed, the pain is still as raw and fresh as the day it had happened. "...killed..."

Sophie watches Jack, her interest suddenly sparked by the mention of her brother's name. She is only privy to Jack's side of the conversation, but stays to listen nonetheless.

Jamie finally turns to look at the other boy. There's an uncomfortable buzzing in his ears and strange images flash before his eyes: Jack's laughing face as he runs from a large, angry rabbit, crashing into the base of the statue on a sled, the frozen pond, a little blond girl with uneven hair beaming up at him...

He whimpers as the sound becomes unbearable, clutching his ears tightly against his head.

"J-Jamie?" Jack calls his name, wanting to touch the boy but unsure if he'd allow it or not. "Jamie, are you okay?" Jack's hand hovers over his shoulder, uncertain.

After a minute, the noise and images finally cease, taking the pain with them. Jamie shakes his head, getting his ears comfortable again and looks over at the hand nearly touching his shoulder.

"I'm okay," he mumbles, unsure of the truth in that statement, himself.

Jack jerks his hand away, afraid he'd frighten Jamie. "Are you sure?"

"Uh-huh," Jamie affirms, even as the images fade from his memory. "Just a headache."

He turns his attention back to Sophie, something about her keeping his interest. "How come she can't see me?"

"As Spirits, we have to be believed in to be seen. I'm not even sure of what spirit you are, so I can't help her believe in you. She knows you're here, but that's about it," Jack tells him.

"I'm a Beast Spirit," Jamie answers, turning to Jack. "I take care of animals. At least, that's what the moon told me twenty years ago after I woke up."

Jack simply stares at Jamie for a long moment, trying not to make any crazy assumptions about the boy. "That makes sense," Jack says finally, looking at Jamie's ears that twitch with each and every sound.

"I'm going to head home, Jack. It's getting late and I don't want Jason to worry," Sophie sighs after glancing at her watch. Just two years ago, Sophie had finished her residency and become a full-fledged Pediatrician. Shortly after, her long-time boyfriend, Jason Erikson had proposed to her, and she'd been more than happy to say yes.

Jamie whips his head back around at that. "No! Don't leave yet!" he pleads. He grows more flustered with each swipe he makes to grab her, his hands fazing right through her. "You just got here!" He lets out a very animalistic whine as she gets farther away, not liking being left by someone who acknowledged his existence.

Sophie can feel the hair rise on her body as she walks away. She shakes off the feeling, thinking it must be the cold.

"It's alright, Jamie," Jack says, trying to calm the boy. "I have to figure out how to get her to believe in you. She knows you're there, which helps but she doesn't know what she needs to believe in."

Jamie's ears flatten against his head, his hands fisting around his quiver belt over his chest anxiously. His stance makes it clear that he's unused to being seen by anyone but animals and he doesn't like the uncertainty this situation causes one bit. "But I'm just Jamie...nothing else..."

"You're more than just you, Jamie. You had a life before you became a spirit. There's more than meets the eye with us all," Jack says, trying to calm him.

Glancing at Jack, he asks tentatively, "How do I remember?"

"For me, I had to have the Tooth Fairy, Toothiana, help me. She's the keeper of everyone's childhood memories. Maybe you should try talking to her," Jack suggests.

Jamie's tail wags slightly at that. "She can help that lady see me? Where is she? How do I get to her?"

"We have to go to her home, the Tooth Palace, but she may not be there. She's been working a lot more out on the field lately," Jack answers. "The surest way would be to have a kid's tooth, but that's not going to happen."

Jack watches the strange wolf-boy, trying not to notice the striking similarities between him and his deceased best friend. The likelihood of this boy being his Jamie is slim to none.

"I wanna try," Jamie replies, tail wagging fully now at the thought of finally getting some answers. "Please."

Before the other boy can respond, however, Jamie's head whirls around, ears swiveling wildly as they try to pinpoint an all too familiar noise. With a worried glance at Jack, he takes off on all fours in the direction of a nearby alleyway.

"J-Jamie! Wait!" Jack's surprised when the boy takes off running. He can't keep up with him on foot, so he uses the wind to fly after Jamie.

Jamie skids to a stop in the dark dead end, claws sliding on the ice a bit. Crouching down, he takes in the horrible sight of a mother cat and three babies, all but the runt bloodied and unmoving. Tears stream down his face as he scoops the remaining kitten up into his arms, cooing softly.

"There, there, Little One. You're safe now." A pause as the tiny thing yowls up at him. "I know you miss them, but don't worry, I'm gonna take care of them. They'll be safe and happy, and they'll be watching over you to make sure you grow up big and strong." He listens a moment to the kitten's concerns before it finally snuggles into his chest, eyes vigilant to make sure he keeps his promise.

He stretches out a hand to gently touch each deceased animal on the forehead. With each feather-soft caress, the cats begin to glow, the light intensifying before it bursts. The small specks look like fireflies as they rub against the kitten in Jamie's arms, twinkle, then fade, no trace that the animals had ever been there remaining.

Jack watches the whole thing from the entrance to the alley, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"I've never seen anything like that," Jack says softly, approaching quietly as to not startle the kitten. "Is this what you do? You help send the animals on?"

"Not all of them," Jamie answers softly, running a loving hand down the kitten's back. "But sometimes animals are killed in ways they're not supposed to. This little one says that her brothers were playing too far from their home here, and a car came through right as her mama went to get them. She managed to get them back here, but they were hurt too badly..." He trails off as the tiny animal cries. It digs its claws into his arm in its distress, but he pays it no mind as he continues, looking at Jack for the first time since entering the alley.

"Nature has its order, and most of the time I leave the animals and make sure those that need it are able to feed, but I'm allowed to step in at times like this, so no one can consume something that was so wrongly taken."

Jack watches the boy - his love for the animals is so obvious anyone would be able to tell.

"That's very noble of you, Jamie. I don't think I'd be able to do your job." He reaches out a tentative hand, letting the kitten sniff him before trying to pet it so it knows he means it no harm.

Jamie's ears flatten as he tries to hide a blush, not used to getting complements for his job. He chuckles as the little creature hides its face from Jack.

"It's alright," he assures quietly. "He's kinda cold, but he won't hurt you." A glare is shot at the younger-looking boy as if to threaten, "_Will_ you?"

"Of course I won't! I only freeze elves, and it doesn't really even hurt them," Jack chuckles softly. "It's my job to protect, too. Though I protect children."

Jamie laughs at the thought of frozen elves, even though he has no idea what Santa's helpers really look like.

"I've always wanted to protect kids, too," Jamie says, reaching with his free hand to grab an arrow out of his quiver. It's an expertly crafted piece, the tip carved with tiny scenes of various ferocious animals while the tail is made up of snow-white feathers. He wonders, not for the first time, why the Man in the Moon gave him his bow and arrows in the first place. "No one knows I'm here, though."

"I do," Jack says, looking the boy in the eye. "So do they."

Jack strokes the kitten's furry head gently with his index finger. "And soon, I hope everyone else will, too." Jack gives the boy a gentle smile.

"Thank you," Jamie mutters, ducking his head shyly to hide a smile.

He stands as the kitten, who reveals her name to be Clara, meows up at him. "I need to find Clara a home; someone who will keep her safe."

Jack looks at the kitten for a moment, thinking, before he remembers Sophie.

"I remember Sophie said she wanted to get a cat. She said her and her husband-" Jack makes a face at the word, "-were going to go to the Humane Society over the weekend to pick one out. But Clara would have a great home with her."

Jamie looks down at Clara, then back up to Jack with a nod. "Okay."

"Let's go - I'm sure they're home now," Jack says, grinning.

Jamie nods again, clutching the kitten to his chest to block out the cold air all the way to Sophie's house.

When they arrive, Jack turns to Jamie.

"Do you mind if I hold her? I think a floating kitten would scare even Sophie, despite having been around us Guardians since she was two," Jack laughs, holding his arms out for the little kitten.

"Sure," Jamie agrees, handing the tiny white cat over to Jack. He's nervous for Clara and he doesn't do very well at hiding it.

Jack gives Jamie a reassuring smile before turning to the door and knocking on it.

* * *

Never in a million years would Jason Erikson have imagined that all of the legends of old were real; he hadn't even believed as a child.

All that had changed, though, when he met the love of his life, Sophie Bennett. He had thought the woman was a bit off her rocker when she first confessed that Santa, the Easter Bunny, etc. were all real, but he eventually learned that what she said was the truth. It took several snowballs to the face from out of nowhere and quite a few exploding eggs placed in his path wherever he went before he realized there was truth to what she was saying.

So as he opens the door after getting home from his job as a kindergarten teacher, he's not surprised to see none other than Jack Frost standing at his doorstep.

"Soph! It's for you!" he hollers into the house.

"What's- Oh, hey Jack. Is that a kitten?" Sophie asks, appearing in the doorway. Her eyes zero in on the tiny, frail little kitten, and her face softens into a gentle smile. "Can I hold her?"

"That's why she's here," Jack says, holding out the little white kitten. "Her name is Clara."

"She's so precious." Sophie coos to the little animal, treating Clara just as gently as she would any of her young patients. Sophie gets a funny feeling, like there's someone else there that she can't see.

"He's here, too?" she asks, glancing around.

"I'm here!" Jamie affirms, tail wagging.

Clara turns to meow at him and he steps forward, pressing his forehead to hers affectionately. "You be good for them, okay? Stay out of trouble and look out for each other." He laughs as her rough tongue flicks across his nose with a promise to be the best pet she can be, then he backs up once more to stand next Jack.

"So, we've found our newest member sooner than expected, huh?" Jason asks, coming up behind his wife to look at the little ball of fur in her hands. "She's cute."

"Clara, huh?" Sophie smiles. "Just like the girl from the Nutcracker Ballet." Sophie tickles the kitten under her chin and kisses the top of her head.

"Thank you Jack, Jamie."

"I told you she'd be a good choice for Clara." Jack grins.

"Thank you, Jack," Jamie says, giving the boy a genuine smile for the first time.

"Jamie?" Jason asks, confused.

"Sorry, Jason. I know you can't see him, but this is Jamie." Jack rests his hand lightly on the boy's shoulder. "He's the Beast Spirit, and the one who found Clara. Her mother and litter-mates were hit by a car, but he found her before she could get hurt."

"I thought you looked awfully small," Sophie tells the kitten. "We'll have to pick up some milk replacer and a bottle."

Jason looks in the direction the boy seems to be, no longer creeped out by the fact there's someone there he can't see. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jamie."

Jamie can't contain the excitement at being acknowledged by a second human, the sting of not actually being seen or heard lessening a bit thanks to Jack's presence next to him. "Nice to meet you too," he replies, albeit shyly.

"Jamie says it's nice to meet you, too, Jason," Jack says, acting as his interpreter.

"I can't see you, Jamie, but I feel there's something familiar about you," Sophie says. "I don't know why, though."

Sophie stares hard at the place where she thinks Jamie is standing; she wants nothing more than to be able to see him, to get to the bottom of this strange feeling. The only thing she accomplishes is the familiar feeling intensifies.

Jamie cocks his head to the side, his animal instincts picking up a sensation he's never felt before. Not from him, at least. It's the same feeling he got from a pack of wolves he hung around for a few years shortly after he learned of what he is. A pair of cubs were incredibly close, caring for the other so deeply that that their love was tangible to everyone around them.

"Siblings..." he mutters, more to himself than to anyone else, but loud enough to be heard.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asks, confused.

"This feeling I'm getting from Sophie," Jamie tries to explain. "It's...siblings...but that can't be right 'cause I don't..." He trails off, unsure of the sensation himself.

Jack looks at the boy, really looks at him, for the first time. Take away the ears, the tail and feral golden eyes, and behind the years of grime on his skin, Jack thinks he might see Jamie Bennett in those eyes. His Jamie.

Jack's mouth draws shut in a tight line and he turns away from the others, running his hand through his hair with a sigh. He wants to believe this feral spirit is his boy, but doesn't want to be hurt if he's not.

Sophie watches the suddenly agitated Winter Spirit, confused. "What did he say, Jack?"

Noticing the change as well, Jamie tucks his tail between his legs slightly, ears pressed to his head. His hands grip the belt across his shoulder once more. "Did I say something wrong?"

Jack flexes the muscles in his jaw for a moment, tense, before excusing himself. "I'm sorry... I have to go. I'll see you guys later." Jack says suddenly before taking off. He takes a running leap into the air, and with a blast of cold wind is gone.

"I don't know if you're still there or not Jamie, but I'm sorry. He's been through a lot these past several years so he's been rather unstable. He really is a good guy, though," Sophie says softly, apologizing for her friend.

Jamie lets out a soft whine as he looks back and forth between Sophie and the direction Jack headed in.

Finally coming to a decision, he says a quick farewell to the family in the doorway, then leaps into the air, hopping from roof to roof at full speed to catch up to the fast Winter Spirit.

* * *

A/N: Anime Angel Alchemist here!

Please don't kill me for making this late - Ghostie had the chapter all done, but I got distracted with preparations for my first ever anime con, ACen.

Well, enough about that, enjoy this chapter we worked so hard to create.


	2. Chapter 2

_ Previously:_

_ "This feeling I'm getting from Sophie," Jamie tries to explain. "It's...siblings...but that can't be right 'cause I don't..." He trails off, unsure of the sensation himself._

_ "I'm sorry... I have to go. I'll see you guys later."_

_ Jamie lets out a soft whine as he looks back and forth between Sophie and the direction Jack headed in._

_ Finally coming to a decision, he says a quick farewell to the family in the doorway, then leaps into the air, hopping from roof to roof at full speed to catch up to the fast Winter Spirit._

* * *

Chapter Two

Jack lands in the snow outside his cabin before leaning heavily on the wooden door. "It's him. I know it's _him,_" Jack mumbles to himself, nearly in tears. His thin frame shakes as he tries not to get his hopes up.

After losing sight of the fast spirit, Jamie is forced to follow his scent. He finally finds him outside a small cabin deep in the woods and hides behind a tree only long enough to realize there's something really wrong with Jack.

Hesitating a moment, Jamie shuffles over to the building, unsure if he's just making things worse, but not wanting to be left alone.

"Jack?" he asks quietly, returning to his earlier nervous stance.

Jack turns upon hearing his name, to see Jamie looking at him nervously. He falls ungracefully to the snow, his back against the door as he stares at the boy with haunted blue eyes.

"It's not your fault," Jack mumbles, his voice barely over a whisper as he hides his face in his hands.

Jamie whimpers as he feels the other boy's distress. Not knowing what else to do, he sits down in the snow next to Jack, knees drawn up and tail wrapped around him.

Without a word, Jack wraps his arms around Jamie, hiding his face. With his face so close to the boy, he can smell his earthy scent.

Jamie jumps slightly at the contact, but settles quickly enough. He looks down at the smaller boy, only for his headache to flair up again.

He lets out a yelp as more images flitter across his vision, his eyes darting back and forth rapidly in an attempt to keep up with them.

_A rabbit made of frost jumps around his bedroom. He watches in fascination until his eyes land on Jack in the corner._

The image breaks up like static.

_Jack stands in front of him now, wide-eyed and disbelieving. "You...you can see me?"_

Darkness creeps into the edges of his vision as the scene shifts once more.

_Jack is knelt down with a hand on his shoulder. They're in a dark alleyway and it's incredibly cold out. A twinge of fear races up his spine, but it's pushed aside as the Winter Spirit gives him a warm smile. "You just gotta believe in me, alright?"_

Jamie grips his head tightly, unaware that he's repeated the last question out loud.

"Jamie?" Jack lets go of the boy so he can look at his face. He watches Jamie, confused by his words, but concerned by the way he's holding his head.

It takes several more moments, but eventually the images fade, leaving Jamie panting and trembling in their wake. "What do...what are...I don't..." He trails off, unable to form a complete sentence. He looks at Jack pleadingly, hoping the boy in his visions can shed some light on this incredibly confusing situation.

"What's wrong? Are you remembering your past?" Jack asks, holding the trembling boy. "If that's what it is, I know it's scary, but you'll be happier knowing."

"I don't understand," Jamie retorts, lower lip quivering in his distress. "Why are you there? You're always there! Why?!"

Jack looks at Jamie, a bad feeling in his gut. "Do you want to tell me about it, Jamie? It might help us both understand," Jack says softly, his arms tightening around the boy.

Jamie furrows his eyebrows as he grasps for the images that already threaten to fade from his memory. "There...there was a rabbit...made of snow and...and someone really scary-looking, but you...you were there, and you said just to believe in you and everything would be okay...and then you were gone and I was all alone and...and..." He growls as the last of the memories fade away, leaving him with nothing again.

"Oh God..." Jack is torn between hanging onto the boy like a lifeline, and running away. After a long moment he decides on the first and clutches Jamie to him as if _he's_ the one that may take off at any moment.

"Did I say something wrong again?" Jamie asks, incredibly confused by the other boy's actions.

"I knew you couldn't really be gone... Not my Jamie," Jack mumbles into the boy's hair, fighting the tears that threaten to fall. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

"What do you mean? You know who I was?" Jamie can't hide the glimmer of hope in his voice.

Jack nods. "You remember me telling you about my best friend Jamie? The one who was killed? Well, that was you. I think," Jack says softly, his voice barely audible.

"But...but how?" Jamie can feel a dull throb pounding in his head as he tries to piece together this information. "How could that be me?"

"We were all someone else before we became what we are now," Jack explains. "I was a boy from the colonies, when America was just getting started. I died saving my sister, and the Man in the Moon brought me back as Jack Frost."

Jamie looks at Jack as if seeing him for the first time. Scrunching up his face, he asks in a near whisper, "Then who was I?"

"You were Jamie Bennett, my best friend and the first child to believe in me. That woman we saw earlier, she's your sister, Sophie. Jamie, I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." Jack gives the boy a sad smile. "But I'm glad you're back now, even if you can't remember me."

Jamie's surprised by this news, to say the least. He's unaware he's even speaking as he mumbles, "Not your fault..."

"I missed you so much, Jamie..." Jack whispers.

Jamie looks down at his hands in his lap, his long claws caked underneath with twenty years worth of dirt, turning them a dull, dingy brown color. "I wanna remember," he mutters. Then louder as he returns his gaze to Jack, he repeats, "I want to remember".

"I'll take you to see Tooth tomorrow," Jack promises. "It's getting late today."

Jack looks up at the little sliver of sky he can see through the trees, to the twinkling stars just beginning to come out, and the moon that hangs low in the sky.

"Do you have somewhere to stay for the night, Jamie? You can stay here with me, if you'd like." Jack gestures to the little cabin. "It's small, but cozy."

The brown haired spirit's tail thumps on the ground as he accepts the offer. "I've never been in a building before."

Jack gives him a soft smile, wondering just what kind of life the poor boy has had to live since becoming a spirit.

"You'll like it. It's where I lived when I was human, with my family," Jack says softly, releasing the boy and standing as he brushes the snow off of himself. Jack pushes open the door and holds it open for Jamie.

Jamie scrambles up after Jack, golden eyes widening as he takes in the the interior of the small cabin. His ears swivel on their perch atop his head and he barely notices as his tail bumps into things as he turns to take in everything. His nose twitches wildly, unconsciously trying to decipher the many new smells within the place.

Jack laughs, glad he has very few fragile possessions. As Jamie investigates the cabin, Jack's eyes can't help but be drawn to the painting Jamie had done for him all those years ago - the winter scene of the pond, with a hidden picture of Jack high in the trees.

Jamie eventually follows Jack's gaze. "That's you," he says, oblivious to the obviousness of this statement. "Did you make this?"

"You did," Jack mumbles, turning away from the painting. "It was a Christmas present from you a couple weeks before you..." Jack gives the boy a pained smile.

"Oh," Jamie says, not able to tear his eyes from the painting. He brings up a hand to touch the picture, but thinks better of it when he sees the dirt on his fingers, instead grasping his belt again. "How...how did it happen?"

Jack collapses into a nearby chair with a sigh.

"We were sitting in a cafe when a guy - you had thought he was your friend - came in with this gun. He shot the cashier before you stepped in." Jack can no longer hold back his tears as he tells Jamie about himself. "You wanted to stop him from hurting anyone else, but then he said some weird stuff, like how you thought you were better than him. He shot you, Jamie. From point blank. He was messed up, because he shot you at least twice more before turning the gun on himself and blowing his own brains out."

Jamie turns at that, his knuckles turning white in his grip. "Did I save them...?" he asks quietly, the thought of dying without helping the other people there more troubling to him than his actual death.

"Yeah. It was too late for the cashier, but no one else died that night. But it was the worst feeling in the world when you began to fall through me." Jack stares at his hand, as if he were still holding Jamie's head as he died.

"I'm sorry," Jamie mutters, not knowing what he's apologizing for, but feeling the older spirit deserves it anyway.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Jamie. You did what I couldn't do - I had tried to stop him myself, but couldn't touch him." Jack closes his fists as he looks Jamie in the eye.

Jamie gives him a small smile at that, taking off his bow and quiver and placing them lovingly against the wall before moving over to sit at the foot of Jack's chair. He doesn't pay a second thought to the chair next to the Guardian, feeling much more comfortable on the hard wooden floor.

Jack smiles and ruffles the boy's hair. "You're like having a dog that can take care of itself." He chuckles softly, touching Jamie's ears.

Jamie's ears flick involuntarily at being touched, but he laughs regardless. "Mama said I was the easiest cub she ever had to take care of," he replies, remembering fondly the kind she-wolf who took him in after the Moon told him his name.

Jack's smile fades a bit as he thinks about Jamie's human mother, Mary, and how distraught she was after Jamie's death. Mary had been so upset that Sophie had been forced to take care of her for a while.

Sensing the change, Jamie asks uncertainly, "What's wrong?"

Jack looks at Jamie for a moment before shaking his head. "It's nothing."

Jamie looks up at him curiously, able to tell that whatever is bothering Jack is certainly _not_ nothing, but also knowing that he would rather not talk about it. Instead, he opts to look around the cabin, knowing nothing about decorating, but deciding nonetheless that the small wooden home is quite cozy.

"I know it's not much, but you can look around if you'd like. This is where I grew up. I had a baby sister, and she was such a handful." Jack sighs, remembering his sister Jocelyn. "I really haven't changed much of anything in here, other than one or two modern conveniences like lights or that painting."

Jamie stands up to better look at the dark, yet homey room. The furniture is obviously very old, but well taken care of, giving off the pleasant scent of aged wood. There's a thin layer of frost upon nearly every surface, but this bothers the young spirit very little, being able to function just fine in almost any weather condition to keep up with the many different habitats of his charges.

"I like it," he decides with a smile. Turning to Jack, he asks, "Was my home like this?"

"It was bigger and newer, but yes. You lived with your sister Sophie and, erm, your mother. You had a dog, too." Jack laughs at the memory of the slim Greyhound. "Your family loved you so much, Jamie. They still do."

"My mom?" Jamie asks, surprised.

"She had a rough time after you died, Jamie, but she's a strong woman. Between Sophie and I, we helped her get through it."

"Oh," Jamie responds quietly. "Can...can we go see her tomorrow after we get my memories back?"

"Of course, but I don't know if she'll be able to see you or not. But I might have an idea of how to get her and Sophie to believe in you," Jack tells him with a grin.

"I'll try it!" Jamie says excitedly, willing to do anything at this point to be seen. He's nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet as his tail swishes rapidly, bumping into the leg of a nearby table repeatedly.

"I think for your family, it's more a matter of who you are, than what you are. You died, so convincing them it's you won't be easy, but I think that's what they need," Jack says, looking at the boy with a thoughtful expression. "Sophie shouldn't be too hard - she's been around us since she was two. It's your mother I'm worried about."

Jamie crinkles his forehead in thought, trying to come up with a solution. Glancing around the room, his eyes land on the painting hanging on the wall. "I could make a picture!"

Jack nods. "That could work. Luckily I saved your stuff when your mom wanted to throw it away. I even still have the painting you were working on before you died."

Jack gives the boy a sad smile before rummaging around in the bottom of a closet. When he reemerges, he's holding Jamie's old painting set, and even a canvas. "For now, we should head to bed, but you can start after we get your memories back, if you'd like."

He carefully lays the items out on an empty table, one a little further from Jamie and his swinging tail.

"Okay!" Jamie is positively beaming as he looks at the various items on the table. He can't remember a time where he's had so much attention from anyone and, while unfamiliar and unsettling, he can't deny that he enjoys the feeling immensely.

"You can either share my bed with me, or I can try to make you something on the floor. It's up to you, kiddo," Jack says, using Jamie's old nickname and ruffling his hair again.

Jamie looks from the bed to the floor, then back again, before deciding. "I wanna try a bed. I've never slept in a bed."

"Have at it," Jack says, climbing in under the covers next to the wall. He doesn't need the blankets, so it's more out of habit that he even has them on the bed.

A quiet, "Ooh," can be heard as Jamie sits on the edge of the bed, amazed that something could be that soft. He's unaware that his tail is beating the Winter Spirit behind him as he bounces, laughing all the while.

Jack laughs as he grabs Jamie's tail to stop it. "Glad you're so happy."

Jamie turns at that, not bothered in the slightest that his tail has been taken prisoner. He smiles brightly at Jack before lying next to him, curling into a ball on his side. Tail still wiggling in the Guardian's grasp, he says, "Me too".

Jack releases Jamie's tail and kisses the top of his head. "Sleep tight, Jamie. We have a long day ahead of ourselves tomorrow."

"Night, Jack," Jamie mutters quietly as he finally settles down. It doesn't take long for the day's excitement to catch up to him, and soon his breathing evens out, ears still twitching every now and then.

* * *

The next morning Jack wakes up as the sun filters into the little cabin. Still groggy from sleep, he jumps when he sees the body lying next to him, but quickly remembers the boy. His heart is filled with joy when he thinks about the fact his Jamie has come back. He may not remember Jack, but he's thrilled no matter what.

Carefully, Jack slips out of the bed over Jamie, trying not to wake him up.

Jamie slowly opens his eyes as he notices the sudden temperature change. It takes him a moment to remember where he is, though he's very used to sleeping anywhere and everywhere, so he's not too worried.

Waking up a bit more, Jamie stretches and lets out a jaw popping yawn. His hair is a tangled mess upon his head as he sits up groggily, one ear turned inside out haphazardly.

Sorry, did I wake you?" Jack asks from his place by the fire, where he's cooking their breakfast. He normally just throws together a bowl of milk and cereal, but figured Jamie would enjoy the eggs and sausage instead.

Jamie rubs the sleep out of his eye as he shakes his head no, his ear twitching madly in an unconscious effort to right itself. He sniffs the air hungrily as he stands up, stomach letting out a loud growl. "What are you making?"

"Eggs and sausage," Jack replies, sliding the sizzling food off of the pan and onto two plates. "I thought you'd appreciate it over the cereal I usually have."

Jack places the plates on the table before taking a seat.

Jamie awkwardly follows his lead, sitting on his legs in the chair opposite of Jack. He glaces down at the furniture distastefully, but schools his expression at the prospect of food. Sniffing at it hungrily, he picks up a piece of sausage and takes a tentative bite. His eyes widen as the flavor floods his senses, then he shoves the whole thing in his mouth.

Jack laughs at his friend, not at all put out by his lack of table manners. "I'm guessing you've never had this before?" Jack asks, trying not to laugh as he eats.

"Uh-uh," Jamie answers, cheeks puffed out as he uses his fingers to stuff an egg in his mouth. "Camf cook...eat raw."

"I'll just have to make sure you have good food for as long as you stay with me. How's that sound?" Jack's eyes sparkle - he hasn't felt this happy in decades.

Jamie nods his head vigorously at that, absolutely ecstatic at the thought of being able to eat like this all the time. Swallowing his large mouthful, he beams, "Sounds good!" before grabbing another sausage.

Jack can't help but chuckle at Jamie's enthusiasm as he finishes his own breakfast. He slides a couple more sausages on the boy's plate before stepping to the sink to wash his plate.

Jamie downs those as well with a happy, "Thanks!" into his bottomless pit of a stomach before getting up and following Jack's lead once more. He has no idea what he's doing with the plate, but he mimics the other spirit nonetheless.

Jack hands Jamie a soapy rag as he sponges his plate, splashing him with water in the process.

Jamie lets out a surprised yelp as the water hits him in the face, but laughs when he realizes what hit him. He shakes his head, tossing droplets of water in every direction as he attempts to scrub the plate in his hands.

Jack hunches his shoulders and turns his head to keep from getting sprayed in the face, only to grab a handful of the foam and place it on Jamie's nose.

The Beast Spirit's nose twitches in an attempt to get the foam off while his hands are full. After several attempts, he finally just wipes it off on his shoulder, leaving a smudge on his nose from his dirty green tunic.

The dark spot on Jamie's nose only makes Jack laugh harder, and he has to put the plate down in the soapy water before he drops and breaks it.

"I think you need some clean clothes, Jamie," Jack laughs, using his wet hand to wipe the boy's nose clean, leaving the tip a slightly lighter shade than the rest of his face, which only serves to renew the laughing. "And a bath."

Jamie looks down at himself, his clothes all discolored and tan skin turned brown from his layers of dirt. Glancing back up, he asks, "A bath?"

"You know, with soap and water? Tooth will freak if she sees you like this. We just need to clean you up for her, and after that you can do what you want," Jack says, rubbing a wet thumb under the boy's eye, leaving a light streak.

The look on Jamie's face is nothing short of panic at the description of a bath. He remembers some of his dog and cat friends saying how horrible it is, being submerged against your will under water, then scrubbed with some unknown bubbly substance with a funny smell, only to be drenched again then pulled out and smothered with a cloth.

Jack ruffles the stricken boy's hair. Jamie doesn't have to say anything for Jack to understand he's scared.

"It's not that bad, I promise," Jack smiles. "Like I said, just clean up once, and I'll let you do whatever after that."

Jamie hesitates before deciding to trust Jack. After all, he hasn't hurt him, gave him delicious food, and let him stay in a comfy bed. That has to count for something, right?

Ears pressed to his head, showing he's still not comfortable with the idea, the older-looking spirit bobs his head once, mumbling a quiet, "Okay".

"Good, because Tooth will kill me if she thinks I let you be like that." Jack chuckles, a bit nervous. He rinses both of the plates before placing them on a rack to dry. "I'm sure you'd like to get to see Tooth soon, so we can try to make this as quick and painless as possible."

Jamie nods his head again at that. His hands gripping his quiver belt has become somewhat of a nervous habit over the years, and now is no exception as he waits for instructions from Jack.

"C'mon." Jack lays a gentle hand on Jamie's shoulder to steer him to the bathroom. When he gets in there, he draws the water in the bath. He makes sure it's a comfortable temperature before turning back to the boy.

As the water gushes into the large tub, Jamie slowly backs toward the door, tail tucked between his legs. The noise is loud in his sensitive ears, sounding like something large and dangerous growling. He whimpers as Jack turns to him, then lets out a startled yelp as his back meets the door frame.

"Hey, hey... It's alright," Jack says quietly, trying to keep his voice reassuring. He moves toward Jamie. "What's wrong?"

Jamie glances from Jack, to the tub, then back again, keeping his back pressed firmly against the wall. "Loud," he murmurs, barely more than a whisper.

"I'm sorry." Jack says, turning off the tap. "It's full now, so it's off. I promise this wont hurt you. Just come here and tell me if the water's warm enough, okay?"

Jack dips his hand in the water and waves it around a little, to show Jamie what he wants. "I don't want it to be too hot for you, either."

Taking tentative steps forward, Jamie reaches out to put his fingertips in the water. He gives the other boy a surprised look as he feels the warmth getting colder as his hand moves closer to where Jack's own hand is dipped in the tub.

Not looking at Jamie, Jack pulls his hand out so the water doesn't get too cold. "How's that? Sorry if I made it too cold. It's kind of all I can do," he mumbles.

Jamie gives him a small smile at that, not liking Jack looking so down about something he can't help. "It feels better; it was too hot." While not entirely true, he prefers it when the Winter Spirit smiles, so he says it anyway.

Jack perks up a little at Jamie's words and gives him a small smile. He ruffles Jamie's hair with his dry hand, as the water on the other had turned to ice almost as soon as he'd pulled it from the water.

"You okay to get in now?" Jack asks. "I'll take your clothes and wash them for you when we're done here."

Jamie looks around to the various soaps along the edge of the tub, not having a clue what they're for or how to use them. Nodding regardless, he begins to unbuckle the belts around his chest and waste, laying them gently on the floor. His green tunic and brown undershirt follow shortly after, being tossed haphazardly instead of the care used for his belts.

Through the dirt covering his chest, three small scars can be seen. Each are about an inch in diameter, while the edges are rougher, as if they had been burned there. Matching scars are on his back, where whatever had pierced his chest exited from.

When Jack sees the scars on Jamie's chest, his heart breaks for the boy all over again. A muscle in his jaw twitches as he stares at the old bullet wounds.

"I'm so sorry, Jamie," Jack mumbles, finally turning away. He hadn't been prepared to see the scars from the shooting.

"Huh?" Jamie asks, head turned to the side in confusion. He has no idea what the boy's apologizing for. Assuming he's talking about forcing him to bathe, he adds, "You said Tooth would be mad if I didn't...It's not your fault..."

Jack gives the boy a pained smile, realizing Jamie doesn't understand. Instead of saying anything, Jack steps over to the boy and wraps him in a tight hug.

Jamie is completely lost by this point, but as he returns Jack's hug he relishes the feeling of safety and companionship that he never quite got from his animal friends.

"I can't promise nothing bad will ever happen to you again, not with what we are and what we do," Jack says into Jamie's hair, "but I want to be there for you if something does happen. I don't want to lose you again."

Still not knowing what Jack's talking about, Jamie just stays as he is, tail wagging once more at his words.

When Jack finally releases the boy, he feels much better. With a crooked smile, he holds the boy at arms length to look him in the eye. "Sorry about that. Now lets get you cleaned up so we can get your memories back."

"Yeah!" Jamie exclaims, excited about learning for himself who he really is. He hesitates, however, as he turns to the water. Reaching up to grasp his belt, he flounders when he remembers it's not there. "I don't...know what to do..." he admits quietly, trying- and failing- to remember what the different colored liquids in the bottles are used for.

"I'll help you, just let me know when you're in the tub," Jack says, turning his back to the boy so he has a little bit of privacy to finish undressing.

Nodding, Jamie quickly pulls his remaining clothes off and steps in the bathtub. Sitting down, he watches in amazement as the clear water quickly clouds over and turns brown. "I'm in," he informs, face scrunched up as the water soaks into the fur on his tail, weighing it down uncomfortably. He never was one for swimming, now he remembers why.

Jack can't help but laugh when he turns to see the muddy water.

"You're even dirtier than I thought, kiddo," he laughs, grabbing the shower head from the wall before sitting on a stool he'd put beside the tub. "Close your eyes - I have to get you hair wet."

When Jamie's ready, Jack uses the shower head to soak his hair, being careful of the boy's ears. Picking up a bottle of shampoo, he squirts some in his hand before gently massaging it in the boy's hair.

Sniffing the air, Jamie picks up a strong, unfamiliar scent as Jack works the substance into his scalp. "What is that?" he asks. His tail moves up and down through the water beside him, splashing each time it breaks free of the surface and submerges again.

"Shampoo. It'll make your hair less oily," Jack explains. "Now close your eyes again, I need to rinse it out or you'll be itchy later."

Jamie silently closes his eyes, the thought of being itchy causing him to clench them tight to follow orders.

Jack rinses Jamie's hair, careful to be nice and thorough. When he's done, he grabs a clean washcloth and squirts body wash onto it.

"Here. Use this to clean your body. Just rub it around on you like when you were helping me wash the plates. When you're done, use this," Jack holds up the nozzle "to rinse the soap off. I've got a towel here for you for when you get out. I'm going to wash your clothes but you can stay in there as long as you want. Just yell for me if you need any help, alright?"

"Okay," Jamie agrees, rubbing the wash cloth across his chest experimentally. His mouth forms an "o" when he sees the streak of clean tan flesh left behind. He smiles brightly up at Jack before turning back to his task.

Jack laughs at his friend as he gathers up the clothing, before leaving him to finish cleaning himself.

Jamie doesn't even notice the other spirit leave, so caught up in scrubbing his chest and stomach. After finishing off his arms, he looks down at his legs, frowning at them being submerged in the filthy water. Standing up, he cleans them off as well, then reaches around to clean his back.

He spots his tail out of the corner of his eye and, realizing that hadn't been cleaned along with his hair, he turns in an attempt to grab it. Jamie growls as the long, furry appendage moves along with him out of his reach. It takes several tries to finally snatch it, having lead him in circles in the tub chasing his tail. Water splashes all over the floor, but he cries out in victory as he pulls the offending thing around and washes it as well.

It takes a minute for him to figure out how to work the nozzle, causing him to spray himself in the face more than once, but he finally gets the hang of it and manages to rinse all the suds off.

Stepping out onto the soaked floor, Jamie forgoes the towel for the moment in order to shake the excess water off, sending droplets everywhere. Once satisfied, he wraps the towel around his waist and exits the room.

It doesn't take Jack as long as he had thought it would to clean Jamie's clothes. By the time he's finished with them, they are a lighter shade of green, much softer, and smell better, too.

Jamie smiles when he sees Jack as he steps out of the bathroom, tail flinging more water as it waves happily behind him. "Done."

"Jamie, geez!" Jack exclaims, laughing as he tries to shield himself from the water droplets. "You're supposed to dry yourself with the towel!"

He grabs a second towel, groaning at the water all over everything in the bathroom, before grabbing Jamie's tail. He uses the towel to dry the wiggly appendage before moving on to his head.

Jamie giggles as the towel covers his head. His voice is muffled as he replies, "I did dry off".

"I saw what you did. That was soaking my bathroom, not drying off," Jack mumbles, trying not to smile as he towels the boys head. "And there's a puddle the size of a lake in there. Guess I should have stuck around."

When Jack's finished, he spins Jamie around to get a better look at the cleaner version of his new puppy. "You look much better when you're clean." Jack smiles, ruffling the boy's fluffy hair.

Jamie beams at that, deciding then and there that if being clean can make Jack smile like this, suffering through baths might not be such a bad thing. He turns back to look inside the bathroom, cocking his head to the side. "The size of a lake?" he asks, not getting the exaggeration.

"Don't worry about it too much, just use the towel to finish drying yourself," Jack laughs. "Here's your clothes, so you can get dressed when you're done."

Jack disappears back into the bathroom to clean up the mess and drain the bathwater. He has to use the nozzle to rinse the ring of dirt off of the edge of the tub, then moves on to mopping up the water on the floor.

After watching Jack leave, Jamie shuffles over and places his clothes down on the table. Using both towels, he dries off his skin and puts his clothes back on. His eyes widen at the strange, soft feel of them, but he doesn't dislike it. When he doesn't find his belt, Jamie searches under the table. Not there, he runs back into the bathroom, hoping that it's where he left it.

Jack looks up as Jamie rushes into the room. Without saying anything, he simply points to the counter where Jamie's belts lay.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Jamie fastens the familiar leather around his waist and shoulder. He grips what has become his security blanket contentedly as he watches Jack mop up the floor.

When Jack finishes, he turns to look at Jamie. "Ready to go?" He pulls one of North's snow globes from his pocket, having grabbed it shortly after waking up, before he'd made breakfast.

Instead of answering right away, Jamie turns and runs back into the main room. He picks up his quiver of arrows and expertly attaches it to his back, then places the bow around him, the string resting comfortably across his chest.

Returning to Jack, he says, "Ready"

Jack rolls the snow globe in his hand for a moment, picturing the Tooth Palace in his mind and whispering to the globe before letting it slip through his fingers to crash to the ground.

Jamie watches the portal open slack jawed and wide eyed. As he reaches out to touch it, his ears twitch and he freezes, listening intently. His eyebrows furrow in confusion as he sends a look to Jack.

"A horse?" he asks. Whether it's directed to himself or Jack, he doesn't know. His mind is too full of "What is a horse doing in the woods with so much ice and snow on the ground? What if it gets hurt? What if its _already_ hurt?"

At that, he whirls around and runs out the door, taking off in the direction the frantic whinnying is coming from.

"Jamie?" Jack curses under his breath as he chases after Jamie, not happy about having wasted a snow globe, but not about to just leave the boy, either. "What are you doing? There's no horses around here!"

"I heard it!" Jamie calls back, running on all fours through the trees. "I gotta help it!"

It takes several minutes, but he finally skids to a stop in a small, dark clearing. Looking around, he presses his ears to his head as an uneasy feeling washes over him. He doesn't even realize that a low growl has begun rumbling in his throat. Before he can react, a black horse rears up behind him, smashing a hoof into his head.

He's unconscious before he hits the ground.

* * *

A/N: Ghost here! I hope you all are enjoying spirit!Jamie as much a we did. The breakfast and bath scenes were something we just couldn't pass up; they were just too cute. Also, you may have noticed Jamie's OOC compared to the last story, but well, he doesn't know who he is, obviously there's going to be changes.

Next week is where the story will really start picking up, so keep a look out for it.

Another thing, if any of you are curious as to what Jamie looks like now, I have some examples up on my dA, username ghostmajor.

As always, reviews are loved!


	3. Chapter 3

_ Previously:_

_ "What are you doing? There's no horses around here!"_

_ "I heard it!" Jamie calls back, running on all fours through the trees. "I gotta help it!"_

_ It takes several minutes, but he finally skids to a stop in a small, dark clearing. Looking around, he presses his ears to his head as an uneasy feeling washes over him. He doesn't even realize that a low growl has begun rumbling in his throat. Before he can react, a black horse rears up behind him, smashing a hoof into his head._

_ He's unconscious before he hits the ground._

* * *

Chapter Three

The Nightmare King, Pitch Black, chuckles darkly as he steps into the clearing. A malicious smirk is set firmly in place on his features as he lays eyes on the incredibly young new spirit.

He's been watching the boy for a while now, and it didn't take long for him to realize that he and that accursed brat, Jamie Bennett are one and the same. Pitch had been incredibly happy when the child who had brought about his downfall, not once, but twice had been killed in a school shooting; his plans in that had worked flawlessly. But MiM had stuck his nose in where it didn't belong again and brought the worthless mortal back to life.

"No, not worthless," Pitch muses, kneeling down to get a good look at the Beast Spirit lying prone in front of him.

He had been pleased to learn that Jamie hasn't retained any of his old memories. As he is now, the man could easily mold him into anything he desired. He's a blank slate, ready to be rewritten.

His chuckle turning into an outright cruel laugh, Pitch scoops Jamie up and throws him over his shoulder.

Jack slides to a halt in the clearing, just in time to see Pitch throw Jamie over his shoulder. He's so stunned at the fact Pitch is still alive he can't react at first.

"W-What are you doing with Jamie!?" Jack shouts, panicking. He's already lost his friend once, the last thing he wants is to lose him again, so Jack rushes Pitch without waiting for an answer.

Pitch sends up a wall of black sand to block Jack's path, flanking it on either side with a Nightmare.

"Jack Frost," he sneers condescendingly. "It's been too long."

Jack barely gets himself stopped before slamming into the wall of black sand. "What do you want with him, Pitch? He doesn't even remember you - he's useless to you!"

Jack realizes too late that he'd left the cabin without grabbing his staff. He'd been so focused on Jamie that he'd completely forgotten to grab it, and his panic only intensifies when he realizes he's powerless against the Nightmare King.

"Oh, but that's precisely why he's _not_ useless," Pitch retorts. "What better pawn than one who doesn't even know who his true enemy is?"

"If you're trying to get back at me, then go ahead. You can see I'm defenseless, so what are you waiting for? Are you going to be a coward and hurt someone who has nothing to do with this? It's me you want, and I'm right here," Jack says, standing firm despite his trembling hands.

Pitch laughs at that, a dark sound that can chill even Jack's icy veins. "If this boy had never been in the picture," he starts, "I would have defeated you all the first time around, as well as the second. Jamie Bennett has _everything_ to do with this." Then as if an afterthought, he adds wistfully, "I had so hoped that I had finally gotten rid of him twenty years ago, but alas, the Man in the Moon decided to butt in again. So, I guess I'll just have to make good use of what he's given me to work with".

Furious, Jack punches the wall, forgetting he can't do much against it without his staff. There's a sickening crunch, followed by searing pain as Jack comes away with broken fingers. He swears again.

"Jamie! Hey, Jamie!" Jack shouts, trying to wake Jamie up. "Hey kiddo, you have to wake up! Please, don't let him take you!"

Glancing over at the unconscious boy, whose head slowly drips blood onto the white snow below, Pitch smirks. "You know," he says, turning his attention back to the Guardian. "I learned a lot from our little run together, Jack. I certainly learned what not to do when it comes to keeping a pawn on my side. Thank you for that; I'll be sure to put it to good use with Jamie here."

Jack glares at Pitch, his blue eyes icy. "Don't you dare hurt him, Pitch. I will get him back." Jack's voice is low, filled with menacing promise. "And I won't let you slip away like last time, you coward!"

"I look forward to seeing you try, Jack," Pitch replies. With one last smirk, dark sand engulfs the pair and he disappears, taking Jamie with him.

Jack lets out a frustrated cry, cradling his busted hand, before taking off back to his home, where he wastes no time in grabbing his staff and using another snow globe to go to Tooth's Palace.

When he stumbles out of the portal, he immediately starts shouting for Tooth, not caring that he scares all of the little fairies around him.

Toothiana nearly drops the case of baby teeth she's holding as Jack suddenly appears. Handing it off to one of her fairies, she rushes over to him.

"Jack!" she exclaims, noticing the state his hand is in. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Pitch took Jamie!" Jack shouts, forgetting he's the only one that knows the boy was turned into a spirit. "I couldn't stop him!"

By now the tears Jack had been trying to hold back are falling freely down his face, and he scrubs at them furiously with the sleeve of his hoodie, but they just won't stop. "I just got him back, but now he's gone again!"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down now," Tooth orders, gently grabbing the boy's shoulders. "What do you mean? Jamie and Pitch are gone, Jack." She tries to soften the blow that always comes with mentioning the deceased Bennett, but doesn't know how successful she is.

Baby Tooth flutters over and lands on Jack, nuzzling the side of his face and chirping soothingly. She doesn't like seeing her boy so worked up.

Jack touches Baby Tooth's head with his good hand before looking up at Tooth, his eyes full of pain and wet with his tears.

"No, they aren't, Tooth," Jack says, unable to disguise the pain in his voice. "Jamie's a spirit, like us, and Pitch isn't dead."

Tooth's eyes widen at that. "Wh-what? How can that be? Why would Manny...?" Hands tightening their grip, she says, "We need to discuss this with the others. Do you feel up to going to Santoff Claussen?"

"I just want to get Jamie back," Jack says softly, feeling lost and broken. This time hurts worse than when Jamie had died, since the boy's still alive, and will possibly come to hate him because of Pitch.

Heart breaking for her friend, Tooth pulls him into a gentle hug, being careful not to bump his hand. "We'll do everything in our power to get Jamie back home where he belongs."

"Thanks," Jack mumbles, returning her hug. "I don't think I can handle losing him again."

Pulling back, Tooth gives him a sad smile. "Let's see what we can do to help him, alright?" She flutters up on her wings, waiting for him to join her in the air.

With a sigh, Jack calls upon the wind to take him to Santoff Claussen. Even with Tooth's speedy fluttering, Jack can't help but feel they aren't going fast enough, and doesn't realize he's fidgeting with his staff.

It takes no time at all to make it to the home of Nicholas St. North. Tooth leads Jack directly to the man's workshop, where she finds him hunched over his desk, working on something or other.

"North, we've got trouble."

The big man looks up from his frozen prototype. "What is wrong now?" He asks, obviously not thrilled about his work being interrupted.

"Jamie's a spirit and Pitch isn't dead and Pitch took Jamie and I'm scared I'll never see him again and... and..." Jack's words come out in such a rush he chokes on them and the lump in his throat.

"Wait. What was that about Jamie and Pitch?" North asks, confused. "I thought they were dead."

Tooth rubs soothing circles on Jack's back, trying to help ease his choking. Turning to the large man, she says, "I'm not all that sure on the details myself, but apparently Manny decided to turn Jamie into one of us".

North pinches the bridge of his nose before looking up at the moon still visible even though it's the middle of the day. "Why, Manny? Why do this to poor boy? You saw what happened to Jack, and he was much older. You had to have seen this coming..." North mumbles.

Tooth gives North a sad smile, showing she had been wondering that, herself. "We should call the others over. They need to know the situation as well."

North agrees with Tooth as he pushes himself up from the table, looking at the forlorn and oddly quiet Jack as he passes him to call Bunnymund and Sandy with his Northern Lights.

Jack can't stop it as his body begins to tremble, and his legs become so unstable he has to crouch for fear of simply falling over. He draws his knees to his chest and wraps his shaking arms around them.

Baby Tooth chirps sadly, flying around to land on top of Jack's knees. She places a tiny hand on her boy's nose, using her other to wipe away a tear that managed to break free.

Jack can only give Baby Tooth a weak smile. He's so upset over Jamie it's tearing him apart from the inside out.

It doesn't take Sandy long to show up on his little golden plane made of Dreamsand. When he lands he pulls his goggles up, though they disappear into his head anyways, and the plane dissolves as well. When he spots Jack on the floor, he immediately begins questioning Tooth and North with rapid fire questions.

Bunny arrives shortly after, a bit miffed at being called away from his Warren when there's only a few months left until Easter. He grumbles all the way to the Globe Room, only stopping when he sees the serious mood that everyone's in.

"What's goin' on?"

"It's Jack," North says in a low voice, stepping away from the boy so he won't hear. "He's either completely lost it, or Pitch isn't dead and Jamie's been made into spirit like us."

North looks at the boy, skeptical. "He's good kid, but he's been through a lot. I would have thought Manny would have told us if he'd made a new spirit."

The Easter Bunny looks from North to Jack. "Why don't you tell us what you saw, mate?" he suggests, deciding to forgo his usual teasing in light of the state the boy's in.

"I saw Jamie. He found me yesterday, though he has no memories. He said MiM told him he was the Beast Spirit, and he had dog ears and a tail. God, he was filthy - he hadn't even been in a house since he'd been brought back. He spent the night with me because I was going to bring him here to see Tooth, but Pitch got him to come out into the woods and knocked him out. Pitch took him, Bunny. He took Jamie!" Jack's eyes are haunted and scared as he looks up at his old friend and rival.

Placing a paw on Jack's shoulder, Bunny kneels down on his haunches to look the distraught boy in the eye. "Easy, now. Are you _sure_ it was your Jamie ya saw? It wasn't jus' someone who looked like 'im?"

"He had the scars from three bullets in his chest," Jack says softly, squeezing his eyes shut. "And he kept getting these little snippets of his past - feelings, flashes of memories. He sort of remembered me, and recognized Sophie, though he didn't know why. He said something about feeling like he was her sibling."

Bunny's eyes widen at that, glancing up to share a look with the other Guardians. "I think it's time we got some answers," he says, nodding his head up towards the moon.

Manny looks down upon the Guardians from his seat up high on the Moon. The little round man appears to be much happier than he is. The corners of his mouth are pulled down into a frown as he thinks about the newest spirit he had created. Though the Guardians know little to nothing of MiM himself, he is always watching over them, always trying to guide them on the right path.

"Manny!" North calls out to the moon. "Why did you not tell us about Jamie? Did we not, no, did Jack not deserve to know you'd brought back his best friend and first believer?"

"Jack is a good boy, but it had little to do with him." Manny explains. "The child needed to find his own way in life. It was an unfortunate thing I could not give him his memories back as well, but that is why I tried to guide him back to Jack the best I could. He does not understand me well, much like his friend."

Though no one can see it, MiM smiles down fondly at the Winter Spirit.

Stepping forward, Tooth asks, "So it's true that Pitch is back too, then? Is Jamie alright? How do we get him back?"

"Pitch was never gone, just weakened," Manny explains. "And Jamie must come back on his own. Like Jack, he must want to come back, or he will resent you. You can only try to convince the child to return."

"What d'ya mean 'he must want to come back'?" Bunny asks. "You mean Pitch's already managed to turn the kid?"

"Most likely. It did not take him long to turn Jack, and he had his memories and everything. Jamie is vulnerable and impressionable," Manny says, looking to try to find the young spirit.

* * *

Deep in the heart of the Nightmare King's lair, Pitch kneels before the crumpled form of Jamie. In his hand is a small ball of black Dreamsand, made especially for this occasion. Prying the boy's mouth open, he drops the marble sized ball in before closing it once more. He massages his Adam's apple until Jamie involuntarily swallows, watching as the lump moves down his throat.

The effect is instantaneous. Jamie's eyes snap open with a gasp, his back arching and pupils narrowing into catlike slits. His fangs grow longer, his claws sharper, and a dreadful paranoia washes over him. Eyes darting around, he tries to pinpoint where the danger is coming from, but _I can't; it's everywhere. What is it? I don't know; why don't I know? It's out there, it__'s gonna get me. I don't want it to get me. It's _wrong_, so very wrong, but what is it?_

Jamie doesn't even realize he's hyperventilating until a hand is placed on his shoulder.

"There now, that's better," Pitch says, smirking evilly. His grip tightens on the boy, causing him to let out a pained cry.

Jamie whimpers as he looks up into the slightly distorted face of the man hovering over him. Shadows constantly move about at the corners of his vision, causing his eyes to dart back and forth. "Wh-who are you? Where am I?"

"You are in my home," Pitch answers. "And I'm the one person who can save you from your fears."

"Y-you can make it go away? It won't get me?" Jamie asks, his voice small and trembling.

Pulling the boy to his feet, Pitch answers, "That's right, they won't get you. They won't _ever_ get you".

Jamie looks up at the man, hope brimming in his eyes. His tail wags, though not at its usual excited pace.

Pitch places a hand on the boy's head, smirking victoriously at his new pet.

* * *

A terrible feeling washes over Jack, and he knows something isn't right. He doesn't know what exactly, just something. His stomach churns in a way that he feels like he's going to be ill.

"Your best hope of having the child return to you is Jack. Their bond has linked them together, which is why Jamie still had faint memories of him, and it's become something tangible with his becoming a spirit," Manny tells them.

"We have to go," Jack says, trying not to show the fact he feels like he's about to lose his breakfast. "If MiM's right, then we have to go."

"Do you know where to find 'im?" Bunny asks.

"Probably the same place as he had me - his lair," Jack mumbles, his grip tightening on his staff as he scrambles to his feet.

"To sleigh, then!"

"No! No time for the sleigh - just grab some snow globes. We have to leave. Now," Jack exclaims, impatient.

Tooth is surprised by the outburst, but can't say that she blames the boy. "Jack's right. If Jamie's in trouble, we need to help him as soon as possible."

North pulls out a globe and smashes it, opening the portal. He wastes no time in passing through, with Sandy right behind him.

Jack jumps through the portal so that when he reaches the other side he can use the wind to carry him faster to the broken bed that marks the entrance to Pitch Black's lair. He flies at a break-neck speed to the entrance, where he lands beside the bed.

"Jamie?" Jack calls out, bending over the frame. "Jamie, are you down there?"

Without waiting for the others, Jack dives down the hole.

* * *

Jamie yelps as a voice echoes throughout the chamber. Whimpering, he moves closer to Pitch, using him as a shield from the danger. A growl rumbles in his throat, but he pays it no mind.

"It would appear they've arrived sooner than expected," Pitch muses. Turning to the boy, he orders, "Listen to me. If you wish to get rid of your fear, you must fight it. Do you understand?" He smiles at Jamie's nod. "Good. I'll leave this to you, then."

With one last pat on the head, Pitch merges back into the darkness to watch the show, leaving the trembling young man to fend for himself.

* * *

Jack's unnerved when he gets into the lair without even meeting a single Nightmare, so he lands to continue his search for his friend on foot.

"Jamie, it's Jack! I'm here to take you back!" Jack shouts, cupping his hands around his mouth.

When he finally sees his friend, standing alone in the middle of the room, he knows something is off. The first thing he sees is that Jamie's trembling. Then, he notices the fact that his claws are much sharper than they were before, to a lethal level.

"Jamie?" Jack asks hesitantly, hoping the boy isn't a trick of his imagination. "Jamie, I'm here for you."

Jamie whirls his head around so fast that his neck cracks painfully. His eyes are wide and wild, still darting around madly.

What he sees takes his breath away like a punch to the stomach, forcing him back a step. It's obviously a person, but the shape constantly shifts, not able to retain a definite form. Its voice is a deep, guttural growl, and its eyes are a piercing ice blue.

Trying to scare the creature off, Jamie snarls at it, showing his sharp fangs as he growls.

"Jamie?" Jack takes a startled step back, made nervous by the boy's feral growling and pointed fangs. He holds his hands up in front of him, palms forward though he doesn't release his staff, in the universal 'I'm harmless' gesture. "It's me, Jack."

He doesn't like the way his best friend in staring at him, like he doesn't recognize Jack again.

"What did he do to you?" Jack whispers, watching Jamie.

"Crikey," Bunny mutters in shock as he and the others pull up behind Jack.

Pulling out his bow, Jamie knocks an arrow in it with lightning speed. "S-stay back!" he warns. His hands shake so bad, it messes up his normally flawless aim. "Don't come n-near me! I'm warning you!"

With his fear in its heightened state, a sort of dark cloud seems to roll off of him, turning to sand as it hits the floor. Black lines can be seen slowly crawling up like veins through his neck, stretching up to his jawline.

"Jamie, please don't be scared of me!" Jack calls out to the boy, trying to get closer to him. With the black sand beginning to engulf the boy, Jack suspects the worst for him.

Jamie cries out as the creature growls at him again, but before he can let loose the arrow, his numb fingers lose their grip altogether. Both bow and arrow clatter to the floor, leaving the boy in wide-eyed horror.

Hyperventilating fully now, he shoots the group of monsters a terrified glance before his eyes roll back in his head. He collapses into the pile of sand at his feet.

"Guess the dosage was a tad too strong," Pitch chuckles to himself.

Jack runs over to the fallen boy, cradling his friend in his arms as he turns to look at Pitch. He uses his own long, thin body to try to cover Jamie's.

Pitch watches in amusement as the remaining Guardians pull out their weapons. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not here for a fight." Turning to Jack, he adds, "Have fun watching your boy die a second time, Jack". With that, he disappears, leaving dark laughter echoing throughout the room.

"What did you do to him!" Jack shouts at Pitch's retreating form.

His hands tremble as he tries to shake his friend's limp body to wake him up. "Hey, kiddo. C'mon, you have to wake up. I can't lose you again. Not after you finally found me again."

Jamie's eyes crack open a fraction, not actually seeing anything. He can hear vague sounds and the unknown noise causes him to whimper.

"Jack..." he quietly calls out, breath coming out in short gasps.

"I'm right here, kiddo..." Jack says softly, taking the boy's hand in his own, careful to avoid his claws.

Sandy moves over to Jamie's side, taking a look at the boy's face, and the black markings that spread over his exposed skin.

Bunny moves over to stand behind the smaller man, taking in the marks as well. "What d'ya think it is, Sandy?"

A large golden hand appears stroking the little man's chin as a question mark appears over his head. Sandy studies the boy's form for a little while, before a light bulb forms over his head and he forms a small ball of his own Dreamsand. He looks at it as it rolls around in his hand for a moment before popping it in Jamie's mouth and coaxing him into swallowing it.

Jack watches Sandy, nervous that whatever he's doing might backfire on the boy and hurt him even more. Jack simply gathers Jamie up and holds him tightly in his arms, his staff laying beside him.

Jamie's breathing eases a bit as he slips unconscious once more. The black markings are now splintered with lines of gold, glowing faintly as the Dreamsand fights off its sinister counterpart.

"We should get him somewhere safe," Tooth suggests gently. She's still a bit shocked to see that Jamie is in fact alive after all these years, but she pushes it aside at the urgency of the situation.

With a nod, North picks up Jamie and lays him over one of his broad shoulders to carry him from Pitch's lair, Jack in tow following like the puppy Jamie appears to be.

"This is way too easy," Jack mumbles, glancing around as he follows North.

"I agree, mate," Bunny says from behind him. "Somethin's just not right, here."

Walking up next to North, Tooth retorts, "Right or not, Jamie is our first priority right now".

"You have no idea how much I agree, Tooth, but why would Pitch just let us take Jamie like that? If he thought we could easily cure Jamie, then he wouldn't have bothered taking him in the first place..." Jack watches the boy as he walks, lost in thought.

Crossing his arms, Bunny mutters, "Guess we'll find out sooner or latah".

* * *

A/N: AAA here! Things are heating up with Jamie's capture and rescue. Is that too easy of a rescue? I'm not telling! ;) You'll just have to wait until next week's update to find out!

Show us your love in the form of much appreciated reviews!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

When they finally get out of Pitch's lair, North breaks a snow globe before stepping through the portal with Jamie. The others follow him, each lost in their own thoughts as they step back into the safety of Santoff Claussen.

A jolt of searing fire shoots through Jamie, causing his eyes to snap open and his back to arch. He unknowingly digs his claws into North's back as his hands seek out something to grab on to and his mouth opens in a silent scream of pain. His pupils flash back and forth between their usual shape and the slitted version the sand created.

As North grunts in pain, Jack tries to pry Jamie's claws from his back. He holds the boy's hands as North lays Jamie on one of the tables in the workshop for lack of a better place to put him at the moment.

"Jamie, look at me." The warring forms concern Jack, but there isn't much he can do for the boy at this point but try to keep him calm. Jack refuses to release Jamie's hands.

It takes a minute for Jamie to comprehend the order, but he finally manages to drag his gaze over to Jack, whimpering when he can't fully focus on him. Unused to his longer, sharper fangs, he punctures his bottom lip as he clamps his mouth shut to keep from crying out as another sharp pain shoots through him, centering in his stomach and spreading out from there.

"You have to pull through this, Jamie. You have to want to stay with us," Jack says softly. "If you have any doubt, this could kill you. The two sands could potentially tear you apart from the inside, Jamie."

Jack winces when Jamie's claws pierce he skin of his hand, but uses his free hand to wipe away the trickle of blood rolling down his chin from where the boy bit himself. "I'm begging you, Jamie. Please don't leave me alone again. I'll never make you take another bath again." Jack gives the boy a weak smile.

Tooth perks up as a thought hits her. "His memories! He may have a fighting chance if he gets those back!" Without waiting for a reply from anyone, she flies off at top speed to get the container holding Jamie Bennett's baby teeth.

When Jack touches Jamie's forehead, he can feel that the boy is burning hot from the stress of the two types of Dreamsand fighting for control. He presses his own forehead to Jamie's to try to cool his friend down a bit as they wait for Tooth.

Jamie sighs as coolness is pressed to his forehead, though his eyes cross as he tries to focus on just what's giving him relief.

Jack smiles as he watches his friend, but doesn't move.

It takes no time at all for the Tooth Fairy to make it to her palace. With the help of her fairies, she locates the colorful container and, tucking it firmly in her arms, takes off back to the others.

She flies back into the building so fast, she nearly runs into Bunny. "Easy there, sheila," he soothes. "He's not goin' anywhere."

After a quick apology, the fairy moves over to the younger spirits, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder as a silent sign to back off for a minute.

"Hey, Jamie," she utters quietly as she runs a comforting hand through his hair. "Let's get those memories back."

Tooth takes one of the boy's hands in her own and touches one of his fingers to the top of the container. The lid sparkles as it fades away, piece by piece.

Jamie's eyes glaze over as the memories flood him. He remembers Sophie, his mother, the Guardians, and most importantly, Jack. He remembers their time spent playing together, the ten lonely years without him, and their brief time together before he was...before he was...

"I was shot," he mumbles, eyes wide. "Nathan shot me and I...I died, but how?" Looking over, he sees Jack standing off to the side. With a whimper, he launches himself at his big brother, not caring that it sends another sharp pain throughout him. He collapses onto his knees, dragging Jack down with him as he clings desperately to him. Tears stream down his face as he mumbles the other boy's name over and over like a mantra for fear that if he stops, it'll all turn out be a dream and Jack will disappear.

Jack wastes no time in returning Jamie's hug, wrapping him tight in his arms. "You have no idea how much I missed this," Jack mumbles into Jamie's hair, tears of his own pricking the back of his eyes. "I'm sorry I left you alone again."

A sob escapes Jamie as his grip tightens. Shaking his head, he says, "My fault. I left you this time".

"Jamie, look at me," Jack says softly, holding Jamie's head gently between his hands. "Open your eyes and look at me.

"It's not your fault. You were doing what you felt was right, and I couldn't help you. But all that matters to me now is that you're back. And now you're one of us!"

Jamie's pupils finally settle at their normal size, though his other features remain. He gives Jack a small smile, though it loses some of its effect due to the large fangs marring his mouth, making it look more like a grimace. "It's strange to think about," he says in an attempt at humor, his old nature beginning to appear. "I always wanted to grow up to be just like you. I didn't know it'd be taken so literally."

Jack's shoulders shake, half laughing, half sobbing. "I never wanted you to become like us, but if that's what it takes to keep you around, I certainly won't dislike it. Besides - you aren't just like me. You're a little older, at least in appearance, kiddo."

Jack ruffles Jamie's messy hair, and whispers in his ear, "I missed you, little brother."

Jamie's tail thumps on the ground as he gives Jack another hug, answering, "I missed you too".

Bunny watches the pair, a bad feeling about the whole situation still lingering, but with nothing to go on at the moment, he pushes it aside for now. "Welcome back, kid."

Pulling away to look at the others, Jamie takes in the sight of each of his childhood role models, tears welling in his eyes again. "I'm home."

Jack reluctantly lets Jamie go so the other Guardians can welcome him back as well. He can't help but pout a little when Jamie's taken from him by North.

"My boy! You're back!" North exclaims, lifting Jamie up into one of his famous bear hugs. When he releases the boy again, he's simply fascinated with Jamie's new ears and tail, and isn't shy about examining them. He very gently tugs them this way and that, trying not to cause the boy any pain, though.

Jamie can't help but chuckle as he humors North, moving his tail around and twitching his ears upon the large man's request to show that, yes, they are attached, and yes, they do function as any normal ears would. He then shows him the empty spaces on each side of his head where human ears should be that are now simply covered over by hair.

He winces slightly as pain shoots through his stomach, but he does his best to cover it up, instead turning to thank Bunny as the Pooka hands over his bow and quiver.

Jack watches Jamie as Sandy hugs him, gesturing and chiming to the boy. "You okay, Jamie?" Jack asks softly, noticing Jamie's wince.

"I'm okay," Jamie assures, giving the Winter Spirit a weak smile. Before he can say any more, though, he lets out a yelp as he clamps his hands over his mouth. The lines in his neck glow brighter as more gold breaks through black.

Jack's glad to see that Sandy's Dreamsand is overpowering Pitch's, but he also realizes the process is causing Jamie a great deal of pain.

"You need to rest, kiddo," Jack says softly, placing a hand on Jamie's shoulder. He steers Jamie to the room they had shared all those years ago, and pulls back the covers on the bed for Jamie.

Jamie doesn't protest as he's led into the familiar room. He glances over to the trash can in the corner, remembering his first-and last-ever hangover with a sort of fondness only time can bring.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he pulls his hand from his mouth to see that his claws have receded back to their normal length. He runs his tongue tentatively over his teeth, and is relieved to feel that they have gone back to their regular length as well.

"You going to be alright on your own?" Jack asks, lingering by the door. He watches his friend, fidgeting with his staff as he hopes he'll ask him to stay. Jack simply doesn't want to leave Jamie's side for quite a while.

Jamie looks over at his friend and can't help but laugh at the way he can't stand still. His smile is much better now, actually looking like he's happy than in unbearable pain. While still abnormally large for such a human mouth, his canine teeth seem to fit perfectly within.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," he offers, able to read Jack like a book.

Jack's smile is wide and happy that he wasn't sent away. "It's been so long, Jamie. When you're feeling better, you'll have to tell me all about what you do. You told me a little, but I'd like to hear more," Jack says, sitting on the side of the bed.

Jamie places his bow and quiver next to the bed before scooting back to lean against the wall, leaving plenty of room for Jack to sit next to him. His tail hits the mattress beside him, keeping beat to a song only the Beast Spirit can hear.

Jack moves to sit beside his old friend, though careful to leave enough space so he doesn't make the boy cold, memories of getting Jamie ill suddenly coming to mind.

"You don't have to sit so far away," Jamie chuckles, pulling his tail into his lap to make more room. "The cold doesn't bother me anymore. Besides, I slept next to you last night, didn't I? You even..." His eyes widen as he recalls Jack helping him take a bath, and he buries his face in his hands with a muttered, "Kill me now".

Jack turns red but can't help but laugh at Jamie's embarrassment. "The things I do for my little brother," Jack sighs, giving Jamie a solemn look while trying not to laugh. He moves closer and slings an arm over the boy's shoulders. It's the first time Jack's wanted to touch someone, and actually was able to without making them cold or sick.

Jamie turns his head atop his knees to look at Jack. Despite his bright red face, he gives the older boy an appreciative smile as he leans into his embrace. "Thanks for looking out for me, Jack. I had to have been a pain like that".

"No more than any other time," Jack laughs. "And at that point all I was concerned about was that you were back - you being annoying was the furthest thing from my mind."

Jack presses his lips to Jamie's forehead as he holds the boy close, in much the same way Jamie had done for him when Jack had found the boy for the first time when he'd disobeyed Pitch and spoken to Jamie.

Jamie settles comfortably against Jack's side, not bothered by the fact that he's larger than the other boy. His ears lay back contentedly, occasionally twitching as the Guardian's breath hits them.

It doesn't take long before the taxing day finally catches up to him. His eyes slide shut as his breath evens out and he curls instinctively toward the comforting coolness radiating off of the Winter Spirit.

Jack realizes Jamie's fallen asleep when his breathing becomes deeper and more even. Despite the fact Jack's the smaller of the two, Jamie seems to fit comfortably in his arms. He smiles when Jamie curls around him, and lays his cheek on the boy's head and sits in comfortable silence as Jamie sleeps.

* * *

_Jamie laughs as he runs through Burgess' town square with the other kids. The ground is covered in knee deep, pure white snow, perfect for a school free snow day.  
__  
A snowball barely misses his face, and he turns to see Jack Frost standing on top of the statue nearby. He beams up at the older boy, throwing one of his own before taking off to hide behind a tree. Jack's laughter echoes from his spot, and the ten-year-old can't help but laugh along with him._

As he jumps out, snowball in hand, he's surprised to see dark tendrils rising out of the statue's base. The Winter Spirit is completely unaware of the impending danger as he uses his staff to pelt the kids with snow as they run by. Jamie opens his mouth to warn him, but is terrified when no sound comes out. Again and again he tries, the result always the same.

The dark sand rises higher, wrapping around Jack's waist and pulling him down. It won't be long until it reaches his head and he'll be gone forever...

Dropping the snow in his hand, Jamie sprints toward him, but the faster he runs, the farther away Jack gets. He stretches out a hand, much bigger now than it was before, trying desperately to reach his best friend and pull him back to safety.

Three loud bangs sound in Jamie's ears, temporarily deafening him. Pain blossoms in his chest and he can feel himself falling. Looking up, he can see Jack's hand feebly reaching out to him before he's completely consumed.

"No!" the young man screams, finally finding his voice.

As the world begins to fade out of focus, a cold, malicious voice whispers, "It's quite sad, don't you think? No matter how many times you promise to be there for each other, the two of you seem to be destined to be torn apart".

Jamie wakes up with a gasp, gripping Jack tightly as he pants, pained whimpers escaping him.

"Jamie?" Jack asks, unable to keep the concern from his voice. He'd just been about to try to wake the boy after he screamed, when he woke up on his own, whimpering.

That's when Jack notices Jamie's pupils have returned to the feral slit shape they'd been Just a few hours ago. He winces at the claws digging into his flesh through his clothes, and realizes they must have sharpened again. Jack tightens his hold on the frightened boy.

Jamie clenches his eyes shut as the shadows invade his peripheral again. He buries his face in Jack's shoulder, trying to hide as paranoia takes hold.

Looking at Jamie's neck, he can see the markings that had previously begun to turn golden, have turned back to black.

"Jamie, are you alright?" Jack asks, though he already knows the answer.

The Beast Spirit whimpers pathetically at the distorted voice in his ear. He _knows_ it's Jack speaking to him, but it sounds so unlike his brother that he can't help but cower in fear from it.

Jack's hurt when Jamie shrinks away from him. "What's wrong?" He tries to disguise the hurt in his voice, not realizing the boy barely recognizes him.

"Jack," Jamie cries out, wanting desperately for the Guardian to swoop in and save him like he used to.

"Jamie, I'm right here," Jack says, pulling his brother close. He wraps his arms around the boy tight, hoping to chase his fears away.

Jamie presses into to the comforting coldness, tail tucked between his legs and an animalistic whine sounding in his throat. He wishes the sound would stop as he slowly loses his grasp on _It's just Jack; he won't let anything happen to you. It's Jack, it's Jack, _please _let it just be Jack_.

"Jamie, talk to me," Jack says softly, trying to calm Jamie.

Bunny rushes into the room after hearing Jamie's yell, surprised to see the state the boy's in. "What's goin' on? He awright?"

Jamie screams as the new, deeper voice enters; he can't help it. He's outright trembling by this point as he swears he feels something slithering up his spine to wrap around his throat.

Jack glances at Bunny, his eyes wide and worried, before turning back to Jamie.

"It's alright, kiddo. No one's going to hurt you," Jack mumbles to Jamie before looking back to Bunny. "I don't know. He had a bad dream or something, but he woke up freaking out, and that black stuff is back. It seems even worse this time."

Jack tries to ignore the boy's screaming and struggling, but with every passing moment it gets harder for him to bare.

"Pitch." Bunny mutters the word like a curse. "Try ta keep 'him calm until I get back," he orders.

Turning, he bounds back the way he came at top speed, not stopping until he reaches the others in the Globe Room. "Sandy, it's back."

Sandy looks at Bunny, his eyes wide before taking off to the room the boy's are sharing.

Jamie gasps as the thing-he still has no idea what it is; he's too scared to open his eyes to see-slips around his throat, squeezing tightly. He begins to choke as his airways are constricted, releasing his hold on Jack to claw at whatever's got a hold of him.

"Jamie, stop! You're hurting yourself!" Jack shouts, panicking as he tries to stop the boy from clawing at his own neck. His long claws leave dark, bloody gashes in his neck as Jack tries to catch his hands to stop him. "Jamie, please. You're hurting yourself."

Sandy darts over to Jamie's side when he hears Jack shouting, sounding scared. He chimes to the Winter Spirit, but he doesn't even seem to notice the little golden man.

Sandy watches as Jack tries to stop Jamie, who's slowly shredding his own throat, black tendrils snaking up and down his neck.

The black cloud returns around Jamie, leaving dark sand on the boy and the bed underneath him. His chest heaves as he tries desperately to suck in air, but he can't seem to get any through his squished windpipe. He doesn't even notice the pain in his neck as he tries to pull the thing off of him, blood running down his hands and chest.

Jack finally gets a hold of Jamie's hands and pulls them away from his bloodied throat.

Sandy chimes in alarm, looking around for Pitch. When he doesn't see him, he tries to use his own Dreamsand to negate Pitch's corrupted sand by sending his own cloud of golden sand to cover the two boys.

Jamie's terrified as his hands are captured, but his movements are slow and weak from lack of oxygen.

After a minute or two, though, the pressure around his neck releases a bit, allowing a tiny bit of air into his starved lungs. He gasps harshly in an effort to breathe in the precious, life-giving substance, throat raw, both inside and out.

Jack watches Jamie's face as he begins to calm down a little. "Are you okay...?" He asks hesitantly, hoping he wont set Jamie off again.

Sandy sighs as the sand settles, and waves at the boys to try to get their attention.

Not trusting his voice, Jamie nods as his features return to normal. He winces as the pain sets in his shredded neck, moving his eyes instead of turning his head to look over at Sandy.

Jack follows Jamie's gaze to the little golden man, who isn't too pleased about being ignored. "Sorry, Sandy," Jack says. "Do you know what's causing Jamie to have these fits?"

Sandy nods, but stares at Jamie. He hops up onto the bed and pries the boy's mouth open. When he doesn't find what he's looking for, he frowns before releasing his mouth. Jumping from the bed, he turns to Jack. He motions to his throat before pointing at Jamie, telling him to make sure Jamie gets help.

"Wha-what's wrong with me?" Jamie rasps out, voice incredibly hoarse.

"I don't know, Jamie... But right now we need to get you cleaned up," Jack says, noticing there's even blood on his own hands. Without a word, Jack leaves to get a first aid kit and some rags and a bowl of warm water.

When he returns, he sets the bowl down beside the bed and uses the damp rag to try to clean up the wound on Jamie's neck.

Jamie bites his lip at the pain from the wounds being cleaned, keeping his gaze firmly on Jack the entire time.

Seeing that the situation is finally under control, Bunny moves from his position outside the door, where he had been keeping the remaining Guardians from rushing into the small room. "How's 'e doin'?" He winces as he sees the nasty gashes, but doesn't comment on them for the moment.

"Better," Jack mumbles, concentrating on Jamie. He uses some antiseptic to finish cleaning the wound before carefully wrapping a bandage around Jamie's neck.

With that finished, Jamie leans forward to wrap his arms around his knees, burying his head in them. "Why is this happening?" he croaks miserably, voice muffled. "I was just trying to do my job..."

"Pitch is trying to get back at me for defying him," Jack says softly. "If I hadn't brought you into this all those years ago, he wouldn't even know you exist." Jack can't even look at Jamie after seeing how miserable the boy has become. "This is all my fault..."

"Hey, now," Bunny pipes up from his place against the wall. "No use blamin' yourself for something you can't control. Besides, Pitch had his eye on Jamie from the very beginning."

"I hate to say it, but Bunny's right." Tooth ignores the Pooka's indignant questioning of that and continues. "Jamie was the reason he lost the first time around. He was the only child who still believed; the only one he couldn't turn against us. If anything, I'd say he hates Jamie even more than he does Jack. No offense, Jamie."

Said boy looks up at the pair and though he still looks horrible, a small smile plays on his lips. "They're right, Jack," Jamie starts, turning to look at the Winter Spirit. "I don't know about him hating me _that_ much, but I do know that it's not your fault. You're not responsible for what Pitch does; I don't blame you for any of it."

Jack looks at Jamie, sad his friend is the brunt of Pitch's anger, but glad he doesn't hate Jack. He gives Jamie a sad, lopsided grin.

Jamie chuckles at his friend's crooked smile, but is cut off by a painful cough. It's brief, but leaves him clutching his neck with shaking hands.

Turning to the Sandman, Bunny crosses his arms over his chest. "I don't think whateveh you gave 'im worked, Sandy".

Sandy frowns at Bunny for stating the obvious, but his gaze returns to the boys as he tries to make sense of whatever's happening to Jamie.

Jamie thanks Tooth as she hands him a glass of water. The cool liquid is like heaven running down his abused throat. He looks over at the little golden man expectantly as he hands the cup back to the fairy.

Sandy gives Jamie a sympathetic look and shrugs, unable to help the boy at the moment.

Jamie's ears droop at that news, knowing exactly what Sandy's saying after ten years spent playing charades with him.

"He looks...okay for the moment," Tooth starts. "I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on him for a while until we can figure something out."

Jack's hand tightens on Jamie's shoulder where it rests, though not enough to hurt. "I want to stay with him," Jack says softly. "Or he can come stay with me. Either way, I'm staying with him."

Hands wrapped around his quiver belt, Jamie answers, "I wanna go back to Burgess..." He looks over at Jack, eyes pleading. "I need to see mom and Sophie again."

Jack nods. "I'll make sure to take you to them, Jamie, but we'll have to visit Sophie first. Your mom was having a hard time getting over your death, and the last thing we want is to upset her," Jack tells him.

"Okay," Jamie agrees. It hurts knowing that he caused his mother so much pain and heartache, but he knows there's nothing to do about what's been done.

"You got any Dreamsand like you gave 'im earlier, Sandy?" Bunny asks. "We don't know if or when this stuff'll act up again." He looks at Jamie apologetically, not liking being so blunt about the boy's situation, but knowing it has to be said.

Sandy nods and quickly begins to form a dozen of the little Dreamsand spheres. When he's done, he gives half to Jamie, and half to Jack in case Jamie is not able to take them himself.

Jamie thanks him as he stores the sand in a pouch on the side of his belt. Then, scooting forward off the bed, he stands and reattaches his quiver and slings the bow over his shoulder.

Jack follows Jamie, placing the sand in his front pocket as he pulls out a snow globe. "It's late back home, so we can sleep and talk to Sophie in the morning, seeing as it's the weekend," Jack says, looking at Jamie as he holds the globe.

The thought of sleep terrifies Jamie and, though he tries to hide it, his expressive ears lay back, betraying his feelings. He nods at Jack, reluctantly agreeing to wait until morning to see his sister.

"I know it's tough right now, Jamie, but we'll get this taken care of as soon as we can," Jack says, tugging playfully at Jamie's tail when he notices the boy's ears.

Jamie can't help but smile at his friend's attempt to cheer him up, flicking his tail out of the boy's grasp and playfully smacking him in the face with it.

Jack makes a face as the fluff hits him in the face. He can't keep himself from laughing as he tries to keep a straight face.

"Ready?" Jack asks, holding up the snow globe which now has a mini version of Burgess inside.

"Yup," Jamie answers, stepping up beside him.

"I'll send Baby Tooth to stay with you," Tooth informs, worried for the younger spirits. "If anything happens, have her let us know, alright?"

Jack nods as he breaks the snow globe, waiting for Baby Tooth and Jamie to pass through first before following.

Jamie smiles fondly as the tiny fairy perches on top of his head, fitting perfectly between his pointed ears. He waits patiently for Jack to emerge from the portal, glad to be back in Burgess, back home.

* * *

A/N: Ghost here! Sorry this is out later than usual; this week has been crazy busy (and my memory is terrible -cough-) but better late than never. I really don't have much to say about this chapter other than the plot continues to thicken.

Anyway, as always, reviews are loved!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Jack leads the way to his cabin in the darkening woods, keeping an eye out for any unwanted visitors, his staff gripped loosely in his hand.

The Beast Spirit picks up his pace to walk beside Jack, chuckling as Baby Tooth pokes his ears to watch them twitch.

Jack swings his staff as he walks, freezing and frosting everything it comes in contact with. The frost creates swirling, feathery patterns across everything, branching out around the Winter Spirit as he walks.

It doesn't take the trio long to reach the little cabin nestled deep in the woods, not far from Jack's pond.

Jamie looks back the way they came as he waits for Jack to open the door. The entire area glistens as the moon shines down on the new frost covering everything, the snow completely untouched other than two sets of footprints. "You know," he starts quietly, "sometimes I envy your job. I could never pull off something like this".

"Jamie," Jack says, looking back at the boy as he pushes the door open, "You're a much better artist than I could ever be. The frost - it does that on its own. I just send it off to do its job."

When Jack steps inside, his eyes are immediately drawn to the painting Jamie had done for him all those years ago.

"I could never do that." He gestures to the painting. "Or what you do as the Beast Spirit."

Jamie follows his gaze as he too steps in the small cabin. "You're right, I'm sorry," he says, giving Jack a small smile. "Guess I've been alone too long. I paint with berries and things all the time, even carve each of my arrowheads when I get bored; animals just aren't very appreciative of art, though." He chuckles at that, remembering a group of squirrels getting angry at him after he carved up some of their acorns into tiny animals.

"Don't worry about it. If you ever get the urge to paint, I kept all of your stuff for you," Jack says, touching the pile of supplies he'd set out just a couple days ago. "I just couldn't let them get thrown out."

Jack gives Jamie a sheepish smile, a little embarrassed.

As Jamie examines the large wooden box filled with everything a painter could ever need, he notices that Jack has kept it in perfect condition over the years. "Thank you," he says sincerely, touched at how much effort the boy had to have put into taking care of it. "Really, Jack. This means a lot."

"I guess it just felt so final when they were getting rid of everything. I couldn't come to terms with you being gone, either, and I'm glad." Jack rubs the back of his head, giving Jamie an awkward lopsided smile. "I was determined to keep it, even if it meant I had to take up painting myself."

Jack runs a finger over the plain wooden box, thinking of the time he spent dusting the things, and the times he actually did attempt to paint.

"I'm glad, too," Jamie laughs. His smile turns mischievous as he asks, "So, _did_ you take up painting? I wanna see".

Jack blushes as he recalls his awful abstract attempts lying in the bottom of the closet.

"Only because it's you," Jack says reluctantly. "And not a word gets to Bunny."

Jack gives Baby Tooth a pointed look before rummaging in the closet for the paintings, his face as red as ever as he finds them and shows them to Jamie.

Jamie laughs unintentionally as he looks at the various paintings. Deciding not to lie, since Jack will just see through them anyway, he admits, "Those are terrible".

Baby Tooth nods in agreement, giving the boy an apologetic look.

"If you want, I can try to teach you sometime. How's that?" Jamie asks, handing the pages back.

"Maybe," Jack grimaces, putting them back. "You think there _is_ help for that?" Jack laughs, indicating his paintings. "I'm not sure there's much help for that."

"You never know," Jamie smirks. "With enough practice, you might be better than me one day."

"Don't fool yourself, Picasso," Jack snorts. "I don't think I'd ever get that good."

Jamie just shrugs at that, not put off in the slightest. "Even so, learning could be fun. We could try different stuff with your frost." His tail wags excitedly at that thought, mind already picturing different things they could make.

"Sure," Jack says, stifling a yawn. "Another time? I didn't really get any sleep at North's place." Jack's eyes are heavy as he looks at his friend, feeling as if he'll fall asleep where he stands.

"Sure, Buddy," Jamie says, pulling the wooden box off the table and placing it on the floor. Opening it, he curls up on the floor and pulls out some supplies, not willing to try to sleep yet.

Jack watches Jamie for a moment before wandering over to his bed and lying down by the wall so there would still be room should Jamie choose to share the bed again. It doesn't take him long to drift off to sleep.

After a while, Baby Tooth can feel sleep pulling at her as well. She abandons her place on Jamie's shoulder to lie on a pillow on the bed, pulling the much too large blanket around her to ward off the coolness coming from Jack.

Jamie's eyes grow heavier as the night wears on. As his head begins to bob, he doesn't even realize that his painting slowly morphs from a beautiful portrait of two wolves running through a snow-covered forest into a large Nightmare with gleaming red eyes charging full speed toward Jack. The Winter Spirit clutches a broken staff to his chest as he runs through dark sand pillars, eyes wide and terrified.

The brush eventually slips from his fingers to roll across the floor as Jamie slumps back against the wall, slitted eyes drifting closed.

~HOLD ME NOW~

Jack sleeps comfortably before his dreams turn to the evening Jamie was killed.

_He__ finds himself sitting in the little cafe on the campus of the college Jamie had attended, the boy sitting across from him in the booth. __  
__  
__ It's__ not long before the boy with the wild eyes enters, looking around until his eyes land on Jamie. He glowers at the boy before turning to the cashier. In cold blood, he fires at the woman and the cafe falls into a stunned silence as she crumples to the grou__nd. __  
__  
__ Jack's ears are ringing as Jamie steps from the booth to try to calm Nathan down. His eyes are insane as he points the muzzle of the weapon at Jamie's chest, and Jack scrambles to try to jump in front of him. There's a sick, twisted smile on his fac__e as he fires multiple shots through Jack, and into Jamie before sending a bullet into his own brain. __  
__  
__ The pain that sends Jack to the floor isn't physical, but emotional. He couldn't even save the person who had become the most important to him, even in__ his dreams. He spins around and grabs at Jamie's body, falling through the boy and into his blood as it pools around Jamie's body._

Jack shoots up with a gasp, terrified when he doesn't see Jamie beside him. He scrambles up from the bed, knocking Baby Tooth from the pillow in the process, and almost tripping over Jamie as he sits on the floor.

Jack falls to the floor beside the boy and wraps him in a tight hug, not caring that he's sure to wake his sleeping friend.

Jamie lets out a frightened squeak as he's jolted back into consciousness. His dreams had been a repeat of the one he had earlier in the day, and the pain in his chest remains even after he awakens. Neck throbbing painfully, he attempts to wriggle out of whatever has gotten a hold of him, his slitted vision distorting the world around him.

"Jamie..." Jack mumbles into Jamie's neck, trembling. The dream was so vivid, as if that day had suddenly repeated itself, that Jack couldn't help but be disturbed by it. It was as if he'd lost the boy all over again.

Jamie nearly begins to hyperventilate as whatever has him tightens its grip. The sharp pain in his chest intensifies, causing him to gasp and clutch at the front of his tunic.

Seeing something's not right, Baby Tooth rushes over to the pair, forgetting her agitation at being woken up so abruptly. She pulls on a lock of Jack's hair, chirping worriedly and pointing at the terrified Jamie, then down to the disturbing painting lying on the floor in front of him.

Jack looks from Baby Tooth to the painting then to Jamie, and immediately releases him. "Jamie... C'mon, wake up..." Jack says softly, worried for the boy.

Jamie's glassy eyes roll over toward the noise, but he clenches them at the sight of the disfigured...thing sitting next to him. With shaky fingers, he attempts to reach into his pouch to grab a ball of Dreamsand, claws slipping on the latch.

When Jack sees what Jamie's trying to do, he opens the pouch and pulls out one of the little balls. Carefully, he tries to feed the Dreamsand to the boy without getting bitten.

Eyes still firmly closed, Jamie opens his mouth to allow the sand inside, swallowing cautiously. His swollen throat nearly causes him to choke, but he manages to get it down.

He slowly opens his eyes as Sandy's magic takes its hold, the pain in his chest ebbing away as well.

Jack watches Jamie's face, concern filling him. He wraps a gentle hand around Jamie's thin arm as he waits for Jamie to come back to him.

Jamie looks over at Jack as he feels the boy's hand on his arm. His bottom lip quivers and he turns his gaze to the floor, only to be surprised to see something completely different from what he had painted last night sitting in front of him. "Wha-what is this?" he asks hesitantly as he carefully picks the disturbing picture up.

"It's yours, I guess," Jack says softly, trying not to think to much of the painting.

"But I didn't paint this," Jamie pleads, desperation and confusion clear in his voice. "I-I would never make something like this!"

Jack looks at the boy, trying not to say what he knows is obvious - if Jamie didn't paint it, then who did?

Jamie crinkles the paper in his paint-stained hands, not wanting to believe what whatever is causing this fear also has the power to control him as well.

Jack watches Jamie crumple the painting, having mixed feelings about it.

"Jamie, we'll fight this," Jack says softly, his own fear from his dream vanishing, only to replaced by fear for Jamie's safety and well-being.

"What if we can't?" Jamie asks in a near whisper. "I've already had three of these...attacks, and they're only getting worse. What if...what if I hurt you next?" He looks up at Jack, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"We'll figure this out," Jack says, determined to make his words true. "I know you'd never hurt me, Jamie. And I'd certainly never allow you to hurt yourself."

Jamie simply nods his head at that, knowing that he can trust Jack's word, but a whisper in the back of his mind tells him that he'll never get over this; that no matter what they try he's just going to end up alone again.

Jack moves to sit beside Jamie, his back against the wall and their sides touching. He wants nothing more than to reassure Jamie that he'll be able to help him, but he knows he can't promise that to the boy.

Jamie leans against Jack appreciatively, hands clasped in his lap in an attempt to calm their shaking. Looking outside, he sees that the sun is only just beginning to rise. He knows that his sister is most likely still asleep, but he still says quietly, "I wanna see Sophie..."

"But we have to figure out how to get her to believe in you," Jack says softly. "Otherwise you won't be able to talk to her."

Jamie bites his bottom lip as he thinks, ears drooping slightly at this realization.

Hesitantly, he reaches out and grabs another brush and canvas, doing the only thing he knows of that could possibly work to prove his identity. He's still not sure if it'll even work, but he's willing to try anything at this point.

Jack watches the boy, not completely sure of what he's doing, but tries not to disturb him.

Slowly, a picture begins to form. Jamie paints himself holding little Clara, the snow white kitten a big contrast to his green and brown attire. Behind them on the left side is Jamie Bennett, laughing with his family and the Guardians that final Christmas he spent with them all twenty years ago. On the right, the picture fades into a scene of various animals; birds soar in the sky, lions stalk their prey in the Savannas, wolves howl to the moon above, even little mice scurry about on the ground.

Finally after several minutes, Jamie sets the brush down, looking at his work.

Jack smiles as he watches the image form underneath Jamie's skilled brush. "I think that will work," he says, looking from the painting to Jamie. "This should help a lot, at least with Sophie."

Jamie smiles for the first time since awakening. "I hope so," he replies. "Mom's gonna have to see something a lot more...elaborate to convince her, I think."

"Let's concentrate on Sophie, for now. Baby steps." Jack's so relieved to see Jamie's smile, he pulls the boy into a hug, not concerned that he might get some of the paint that's on Jamie on himself.

Jamie chuckles as he returns the hug. He's still a bit shaken up, but having his best friend by his side helps ease him tremendously.

He can't help but remember the last time they were like this, so for old time's sake, he makes sure to smudge some of the paint onto Jack.

Jack wrinkles his nose when Jamie rubs the paint on him, but smiles nonetheless. "I missed you, Jamie," Jack mumbles. "And I'm glad you're back."

"Me too, Buddy," Jamie says. He laughs when Baby Tooth, apparently feeling left out, pushes her way between them, nuzzling both of their faces with her tiny head. "I missed you as well, Little One."

The little fairy trills happily at the acknowledgement, content to be sandwiched between her two favorite boys.

The trio stays that way for a while, not moving until Jack notices the sun's position high in the sky. "I think we can head over to Sophie's soon, if you'd like," Jack says, turning to look at his friends.

Jamie agrees by standing up. His back cracks loudly as he stretches out the stiffness from being slouched over for so long, and he sighs at the relief it brings. Bending down, he picks up the canvas then heads over to strap his bow and quiver on. Once finished, he says, "Ready when you are".

Jack follows, snagging his staff from where it lay by his bed before joining Jamie.

Jamie walks next to him the entire way, though the closer they get to Burgess, the more nervous he gets. He clings onto his quiver belt with his free hand, the old habit not dying with the emergence of his memories.

He's impressed by the modest sized house Sophie lives in when he finally lays eyes on it, having not been paying attention when they brought Clara to her new home. Pride wells up inside him for his little sister.

Sophie answers the door when Jack knocks, wearing an old sweater with the mascot of her college on it and a pair of jeans, her hair loose and messy, not unlike how she used to wear it as a child.  
"Jack!" Sophie grins, hugging the Winter Spirit. It takes her a moment, but she feels a presence that she can't quite name.

"Hey, Soph," Jack greets her, his smile just as big as hers. "You wouldn't think it was just a couple days ago we last saw each other."

Jamie smiles at his two favorite people, tears welling up in his eyes as he watches them interact.

"Is he here?" Sophie asks suddenly, not realizing she's staring right at where Jamie's standing. "That Beast Spirit you were with last time. The one that brought Clara."

"Yeah," Jack nods. "But there's something else about him, Soph." When Sophie gives him a questioning look, he continues cautiously. "That Jamie, is our Jamie. He's a Spirit now, Sophie."

Sophie stares at jack as if he'd grown another head. "What?" Is all she can say, unsure if whether to believe him or not.

Jamie can't hold back his tears as he holds out the painting, a few drops landing on the surface. His baby sister has grown into a beautiful woman, and he missed out on all of it. He prays that this will work; he doesn't want to miss out on any more of her life than he already has.

It startles Sophie to see the floating painting, but she accepts it. She stares at it in shock when she sees the image of her brother with dog ears and a tail, holding Clara. He doesn't look any different than before he was shot, like he hadn't aged a day just like Jack. The thing that strikes her the most, is the scene of the animals to the right side of the painting. They're each created with loving strokes that show the painter understands them.

The tear drops on the canvas are what finally does it for Sophie. She clutches the painting to her body, not caring the painting isn't dry and she smudges some of the paint on her old sweater. The tears roll down her cheeks as she looks where she guesses Jamie is, though this time she's shocked to see her brother standing beside Jack, tears spilling from his eyes as well.

"Jamie..." She whispers, hoping the boy in front of her isn't an illusion as she rushes forward and wraps him in her arms, the painting having been plucked from her hands by Jack.

Jamie clings desperately to her, a sob breaking free as he buries his face in her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," can be heard like a mantra in her ear.

"It's not your fault, Jamie," Sophie whispers. "I never blamed you. You have no idea how proud I was of you when I heard what happened."

She holds her brother close, not ever wanting to let go of him again. She can't help but laugh as her little white kitten, Clara, comes out of the house to investigate what's going on, rubbing against her leg before sitting to look up at Jamie.

Jamie follows his sister's gaze as she laughs, immensely relieved that she's not upset at him for leaving, however unintentionally it was.

Tears still trickling down his face, he bursts out laughing as Clara meows up at him. "No," he denies, reaching down to scoop the kitten up, "I am not stealing your new mommy."

Sophie can't help but laugh as she strokes the kitten's furry head. "So, what, you're like Saint Francis of Assisi? You protect animals?" she asks, watching Jamie with Clara.

"Pretty much," Jamie answers. Using a claw, he scratches under the little cat's chin, eliciting a purr from her as she closes her eyes.

"I protect them from humans," he continues, "sometimes from themselves when their curiosity gets the better of them. I make sure they have plenty food to eat and water to drink, and if not, I help them find someplace that does. It's harder to do with pets, though. Humans can be cruel..." He frowns at this before shaking his head much like a canine would and moving on. "And I keep most animals that are endangered from dying out. I've had to let some follow Nature's course. That wasn't fun...at all."

"That sounds tough," Sophie says softly. "But it sounds like the perfect job for you. You always were so good with animals - our greyhound loved you!"

Sophie smiles as she cups Jamie's cheek with her hand, turning his face so she can look into his golden eyes. "It seems so strange that here I'm 32, and you don't look a day over 20."

"I know what you mean," Jamie chuckles. "You're my little sister; you're not supposed to be older than me." With a grin, he adds, "Well, at least you're not as old as a certain _old man_ I know".

"Old Man _Winter_," Jack huffs, sticking his tongue out at Jamie. "Besides, I can't help it I've been around for over three hundred years."

"I knew you were old, Jack, but wow!" Sophie's eyes are wide as she looks at Jack in a new light. "You would have been around during the Colonial times, wouldn't you."

Jamie laughs at his sister's reaction. "You should see his house," he says. "That's proof enough what time he's from. It could fit in your house with plenty of room to spare."

Sophie had never thought of her house as big, but the size of her friend's home surprises her. "Why have I never seen your house, Jack?" Sophie pouts.

"No real reason to take you there, I guess," Jack shrugs. "Jamie's only been in it because he had no where else to stay. It's not like I'm usually there very much."

"Plus it's really cold in there," adds the Beast Spirit, aware that he's stating the obvious.

"I don't exactly need a heater," Jack snorts, petting Clara.

"If you don't mind the layer of frost on everything, then it's a nice place," Jamie laughs.

After feeling a draft from the other room, Jason walks into the living room and isn't surprised in the least to see his wife talking to Jack Frost. He is, however, surprised to see their new kitten floating in midair.

"The other one's here, I take it?" he says, eyebrow raised. "Jamie, wasn't it?"

Sophie nods, feeling herself choke up. "It's Jamie, Jason. It's my brother." She knows she sounds crazy, but she doesn't care.

"What?" Jason asks, his other eyebrow rising to meet the first. "How? I thought he was..." He cuts himself off, not wanting say that her brother's dead, even though it's been true for twenty years.

Jamie reaches out with his free hand, taking Sophie's and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"He's like Jack," Sophie says, returning the squeeze appreciatively. "He's a Spirit. But it's him, Jason. He did this painting."

Sophie hands Jason the smudged painting. "That's my brother. He has a few new features, but that's my brother." Sophie's smile is deliriously happy as she looks at her brother.

Jason examines the picture with a critical eye. He's never actually seen Jamie-he was murdered long before he and Sophie had ever met-but he's seen pictures. There's a photo of him placed proudly in the middle of their mantlepiece. Looking at the boy in the painting's features, there's no doubt in Jason's mind that it really is the same one he sees every time he walks by the fireplace.

The man glances up to hand the picture back to his wife, but his eyes widen when he sees the strange young man holding her hand. "...Jamie?"

Said spirit's tail wags excitedly, unintentionally causing him to wiggle where he stands. Even his current dilemma with Pitch's attacks is momentarily forgotten in light of the acknowledgement.

Sophie beams as she brings Jamie's hand up to her mouth, where she kisses his rough knuckles.

"I don't think you two had the best introductions last time," Sophie smiles. "Jamie, meet my husband, Jason. Jason, meet my brother Jamie."

Those two sentences were ones Sophie had resigned herself to never saying. After her brother's death, she knew she'd never have the opportunity to introduce her brother to the man she loves. But now, Sophie's so overjoyed she feels like she's twelve again.

Jamie's head cocks to the side at the mention of a husband. It still seems strange to think that his baby sister is all grown up and married; she's supposed to be a small little girl with a big imagination and an even bigger heart. Pushing it aside for the time being, he hands Clara over to Jack before extending his hand out to Jason.

"It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Jason answers, the situation nearly as strange for him as well. He grips the technically older boy's hand in his own, surprised by his callouses. "I've heard a lot about you."

Sophie beams as Jack accepts the little kitten. "Let's talk inside, Jamie. There's so much to tell you," she says, pulling her brother into the house like an impatient child.

Jamie laughs as he follows her inside. He smiles as he notices his picture up above the fireplace and, while not his favorite picture of himself, he appreciates that Sophie has kept him with her all these years.

Jason shares a look with Jack at his wife's antics before shrugging and heading back inside as well.

"I took your advice, Jamie," Sophie says, her eyes sparkling. "I became a Pediatrician, and I love it. Sometimes it feels like I'm a Guardian, too."

"That's great, Soph!" Jamie beams as he forgoes a chair and sits in the floor. "I told you you'd make a great doctor."

Sophie continues to fill her brother in on her last twenty years, and the things he missed out on.

Jamie listens intently as she tells her story, idly scratching at his neck as the healing cuts under the bandaging begin to itch.

"What happened...?" Sophie asks suddenly, finally noticing Jamie's bandaged neck.

Jamie's fingers freeze and his eyes grow impossibly wide at the question. He glances over at Jack nervously as his ears press to his head. "Pit...Pitch is back," he mumbles quietly.

Sophie pales at the mention of the Boogeyman. "I thought you guys got rid of him?" Sophie says, hoping she heard wrong.

Jack shakes his head. "We thought we did. But he's back, and he's done something to Jamie that really messed him up," Jack says, squeezing the boy's shoulder as he comes to stand beside him.

"What do you mean by that...?" Sophie asks nervously.

Jamie's answer is nearly a whisper as he draws his knees up to his chest. "I can't sleep. I have nightmares when I do and when I wake up, everything's...scary. I see...things, I dunno what they are. Shadows that move away before I can see them, and people are...monsters; I can't even tell when Jack's by my side. Noise sounds like, like growling and now...now it's controlling my actions."

He lets out a whine as he clenches his eyes shut and grips his hair in his fists tightly.

Sophie moves to sit beside her brother on the floor, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," Sophie says softly, not liking the animalistic noise her brother had just made. "But do you know how he got you like this?"

Shaking his head to answer both, Jamie leans into his sister's embrace.

"I heard a horse in the woods," he answers. "It sounded scared, so I went to help it and I couldn't remember about Pitch's Nightmares. I was so stupid; I should have known, but I _didn't_ and the next thing I knew, it kicked me in the head. When I woke up, I was like this." Another whimper escapes him, though he's not aware that the sound bothers Sophie.

"Oh Jamie..." Sophie whispers. "We're here for you now. We'll do everything we can in order to not let Pitch hurt you any more than he already has."

"Thanks," murmurs Jamie. He keeps his earlier insecurities to himself, not wanting to think about the very real possibility that he could hurt Sophie.

In the silence that follows, Jason finally decides to ask, "So this 'Pitch' person...Is he the same guy you've told me about, Soph? The Boogeyman, or whatever?"

Sophie nods. "I know he doesn't sound scary anymore, but he is. He's the one behind everyone losing their faith in the Guardians 30 years ago, and now he's back..."

Not remembering the event, but knowing from stories, Jason nods. "You guys have stopped him before, right? Third time's the charm."

Jamie gives him a small smile, thankful that his sister found someone willing to believe in all the spirits.

"We defeated him, be he came back. He's much too strong for us on our own..." Jack says, finally speaking up. He'd let Clara down as she had begun to get cold in his arms.

"What happens if you don't stop him...?" Sophie asks softly, dreading the answer.

Jamie hugs his knees to his chest as he glances over at the woman. "I don't know," he answers just as quietly. "As far as I can tell, the attacks already change my appearance. I don't know how much, but I know my teeth and claws get sharper..." He brushes his tongue along the puncture marks on on his bottom lip where his fangs pierced through after he was brought to Santoff Claussen. "I don't want to think about what would happen if he completely took control of me."

"He won't." Sophie says firmly, cuddling up to her brother.

Jamie just nods as he rests his head on top of hers, desperately hoping she's right.

A/N: Anime Angel Alchemist here!

Sorry guys, I got nothin' for a A/N here, so I'll just give you a hearty thanks for reading and send you on your merry way.

Rating and Reviews are always loved!

~AAA


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